Korean Job Discussion Forums

[jdog2050]

I'd heard a rumor that there was a change to getting your pension back after your job ended--you now have to promise you're absolutely leaving Korea. Is that true? Will you get into trouble if you get your pension but immediately come back?

[FriendlyDaegu]

That's always been the case. Except it's not a promise, you have to actually leave. If you want to come back after waiting a month or two for the money to show up, that's up to you. I haven't heard of anyone being denied entry, arrested, or forced to pay back pension money when coming back for a second tour.

[Wildbore]

There is no change.

If your purpose in Korea is over and you have a one-way plane/ferry/bus ticket out of Korea, that is proof you are leaving and you may apply for a pension refund.

It has been that way for 2 decades, that's how it remains.

Unless they have a mind-reading machine, they have no way of knowing if you intend to return or not. Also, people can and do change their minds and decide to return. The pension office doesn't really care what you do.

[Swampfox10mm]

I was on national pension with a previous job, and 2 years into this job, which has private pension, the government called my new school to tell me to take it out. So I did. I never left.

[beentheredonethat777]

Hi, I registered here for the sole purpose of replying to your pension concerns.


I very recently finished a contract and flew out of the country.
Two hours BEFORE leaving, I stopped by the NPS (pension office)
/Shinhan Bank ,at the Incheon Airport and received a large sum of cash before going on "vacation."

Three days later, I returned to KOREA.

TWO days earlier I had applied for my refund at the pension office.
They asked for passport, flight number, receipt of departure, and I filled out
a very short form. This took approximately THREE minutes.

The only question they asked me was if I wanted to pick up" cash at the airport" or " the money to go into my bank account in Korea or somewhere else."

I simply replied, "at the airport."They checked the corresponding box on the form, asked for bank details, and gave me a receipt with the amount I would be collecting.


They also asked me for bank account number in case I didn't have time to collect it before my flight and said it would automatically go into my account
if I didn't collect it that day.

TWO hours (rule) before my scheduled flight's departure time, I promptly gave my PENSION REFUND RECEIPT to the teller at the bank. TWO minutes later I was clicking my heels with cash in tow.



IN short, A ONE WAY TICKET out of KOREA is ALL that is necessary to COLLECT.


DO NOT TURN in your ARC card. I REPEAT, DO NOT GIVE THEM YOUR ARC CARD when EXITING IMMIGRATION. They will ask"Are you finished or will you return?"

Your response" I LOVE KOREA. I'm returning, of course." They will smile and give you your card back.

You will need it when you return.


IT was that EASY!