Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Aussiekimchi]

To all the SA teachers out there paying pension....apparently you shouldn't be!
We just had it confirmed by the SA Embassy and (not believing them) called the National Pension Association in Korea.
They confirmed that SA teachers do not have to pay pension in Korea.
This COULD mean that SA teachers will have to get a special contract from other applicants.
It COULD mean that most SA teachers in Korea right now are working under an illegal contract.
It COULD mean reimbursement for schools and teachers.....so tell your boss to call the PENSION OFFICE
PHONE: 1355
If you are a SA teacher coming to Korea, you must insist that your contract has something about this simply to cover yourself and make sure your school or POE does not take pension from you.
This could be just a sentence stating that as a SA teacher you do not have to contribute to the Korean National Pension Scheme or you could get an add on page with a similar statement.
Those public school applicants coming to Korea in March, SMOE, GEPIK and EPIK should contact their recruiter and make sure that their contracts can be amended at orientation. Don't get it done now as you have to worry about getting your E2 visa...but get it done at orientation.

[GreenlightmeansGO]

I don't think I pay pension. I vaguely remember a conversation about this almost a year back with my boss.

[TeeBee]

Yip, that's right. I came across this a while back, but I've had a tough time trying to convince anyone that it is true. I couldn't get my GEPIK contract altered, but other people I've spoken to haven't had any problems sorting this out at their schools. It shouldn't be too hard, since if we don't pay pension, then neither does the school. Everyone saves all round!

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[wylies99]

OP- Thanks for making this post/thread, but more information is needed for SA residents.
Is there any link for this information? What should they do if they have a contract and have been paying into the pension? Are they due a refund?

[prairieboy]

It's on the NPS website. In English too. It's been there for as long as I can remember.

Here's an email I sent out back in November to our South African teachers:

The NPS does not require South African Nationals to pay into the scheme. They are excluded.

The information can be directly obtained from the NPS by calling 1355 or by looking at the NPS website.

To find the information on the NPS website follow these instructions:

1) go to http://www.nps.or.kr (the National Pension Scheme website)

2) in the center of the page you should see the link "National Pension Scheme and Foreigners" - click this link. (alternately you could enter the website address - http://www.nps.or.kr/jsppage/english/scheme/scheme_04.jsp )

3) on this web page you should see the following passage:

Foreigners and Coverage

At the time of the introduction of the Scheme, foreigners were not mandatorily covered. Only foreigners working in a workplace covered under the Scheme could be covered as an Workplace based Insured Person by submitting an application.

Foreigners working at the workplace with 5 or more full-time employees were included in the mandatory coverage in August 1995 and those working at the workplace with less than 5 employees including self-employed foreigners were also included in the mandatory coverage in April 1999. Accordingly, foreigners aged from 18 to less than 60 who reside in Korea must be, in principle, covered under the Scheme. But foreigners falling under any of the following items are excluded from the coverage. - Those whose country does not mandatorily cover Korean citizens under its pension scheme.
=> Under this rule, only the nationals from 17 countries※ do not have to enroll and pay the NPS contributions.
※ the Republic of South Africa, Nepal, Maldives, Nyanmar, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia,
Armenia, Ukraine, Ethiopia, Iran, Egypt, Tonga, Pakistan, Fiji, Cambodea, Singapore
- Foreigners who are not registered under the Immigration Act, or to whom the forced deportation order
has been issued under the same Act, or who are staying in Korea without being permitted to extend their
term of stay.
- Among the registered foreigners under Immigration Act, those whose stay status falls under any of the
followings; culture & art, studying abroad, industrial training, general training, religion, visiting & living
together and others.
- People excluded from the mandatory coverage of National Pension Scheme, by the social security
agreement.


If you are a South African citizen and are paying into the pension scheme you do not have to do so. Any deductions being made from your pay for pension contributions should be stopped (unless you are planning to retire in Korea).


Cheers

[wylies99]

Thanks for posting. This information will help many people.

[wylies99]

BTW, OP, why aren't recruiters telling teachers and schools about this?

[Kwangjuchicken]

[TeeBee]

[Aussiekimchi]

BTW, OP, why aren't recruiters telling teachers and schools about this?
Recruiters probably do not know. I only found out because an SA applicant told me.
Embassy websites are sometimes visited but not everyday..you know.

[wylies99]

[wylies99]