Korean Job Discussion Forums

[climber159]

I'm applying for my national pension lump-sum refund from outside of Korea. Does anyone know if I should be sending my documents to the regional office with jurisdiction over the city I last worked, or if I should be sending them to the national pension office in Songpa-gu of Seoul.

Thank you!

[winterfall]

I always thought the money followed you? Since it's based on your Alien #, not your address

[climber159]

I'm just wondering where to send my paperwork.

[matthews_world]

http://www.npc.or.kr/apppage/english/contact/contact_01.jsp

I believe that you can use any office to process your pension. Try using a large branch that would give you the greatest chance of finding English speakers - central Seoul, etc.

[schwa]

OP, if you've left the country, you cant apply to the Korea NPS for your refund. A rule they dont bend is that you must apply for it in person.

So now you've got to contact your home country's pension provider & wade through their procedures to apply for a transfer of the funds. Expect this to take at least several months, maybe more than a year.

Probably not what you wanted to hear.

To others preparing to leave, apply before you go! Any office is fine. Its simple & you'll see your cash in far less time.

[climber159]

matthews_world: Thank you. That's what I suspected; I just wanted to check to see if anyone had firsthand experiences. I shall send my documents to the main office in Seoul.

schwa: You're wrong. The National Pension Website provides surprisingly clear instructions on how to go about applying for the lump-sum refund from outside Korea. I fully expect it to take ages for my money to reach my bank account, but the work on my end is really quite easy...especially as I live within walking distance of a Korean Consulate office.