South Korea pension agency proposes subscriber status for homemakers and jobless youth
The National Pension Service wants to let non-earning spouses and young adults enroll with a contribution exemption, opening a possible route to pension qualifying years.
South Korea’s National Pension Service has proposed letting non-earning spouses and young adults without income enroll as local subscribers eligible for contribution exemptions, The Korea Herald reported on October 22. The change could give people currently outside mandatory coverage a route to build the contribution record needed for an old-age pension.
The proposal appeared in an NPS report to the National Assembly’s Health and Welfare Committee for its annual audit, according to The Korea Herald. It covers married spouses who do not earn income and people aged 18 to 26 who have no income.
Who the pension proposal would affect
People aged 18 to 59 are generally required to enroll in South Korea’s National Pension, but non-earning spouses and young adults without income are excluded from mandatory coverage, The Korea Herald reported. The NPS estimates that 6.67 million people, including those two groups, fall outside mandatory coverage. That estimate describes the existing gap, rather than the number who would take up the proposed status.
The pension agency’s published eligibility guidance says non-working spouses and people under 27 with no income activity or contribution history are excluded from mandatory local-subscriber enrollment. It also lists voluntary enrollment as an option for non-earning homemakers and students under 27 without previous contributions. The proposal would provide another route to subscriber status for people in those groups.
How exempted contributions could count toward a pension
Other subscribers who temporarily lose income can already apply for a contribution exemption while keeping their subscriber status, The Korea Herald reported. An exempted month does not count toward the 120 months of contributions required for an old-age pension unless the subscriber later pays for that period. Eligible subscribers can currently make such retroactive payments for up to 119 months.
By extending access to that status, the NPS says its proposal could let excluded people make retroactive payments and accumulate qualifying months. Enrollment with an exemption alone would not add qualifying contribution months; that would require subsequent payments.
Separate support planned for young and low-income subscribers
A separate program scheduled to start on January 1, 2027, would pay the first month’s pension premium of 41,000 won for people turning 18 from that date who have no previous contribution history, The Korea Herald reported. Those who have already paid premiums would instead receive one month of coverage credit. That program is distinct from the proposal to broaden subscriber eligibility.
The NPS also plans to seek a higher income ceiling for premium support for low-income local subscribers, increasing it from less than 800,000 won a month to less than 1 million won. According to The Korea Herald, the agency will pursue that change for inclusion in the 2027 government budget.
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Sources and context
- Homemakers, jobless youth could join National Pension systemThe Korea Herald
- National Pension Service membership categories and eligibilityNational Pension Service
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.