Korean Job Discussion Forums

[prairieboy]

I just got off the phone with the Pension office and got some interesting information.

Last week I received an application form for National Pension and was wondering why they had sent it. I work now in a small hogwon with one other teacher and a Korean teacher/helper, so basically only 3 of us are full-time employees.

I was under the impression from information I read on the NPC web-site, that if there are 5 or fewer full-time employees then we were not required to pay into the pension scheme.

Alas, as it is in Canada, if you are employed and earning money then you must pay into the plan.

The 5 full-time employees is the point at which your employer does not have to contribute 50% of premium.

In otherwords, what I was told was that since there are only 3 full-time employees at my hogwon, I must still pay into Pension but at the time when my hogwon employs a 6th full-time employee then the hogwon must pay 50% of the premium.

I hope this helps clear up some of the confusion around whether English teachers in Korea are exempt from paying or required to pay. We are required to pay.

If you aren't sure then you can contact your own district Pension office by calling 1355.

Well, I'm Canadian so I'll get the money back, no biggy to me

Cheers

[Cedar]

Americans and Canadians get refunds, I've never heard anything about this five person rule. I've never worked at a location with five foreigners and I've always paid the pension.

Incidentally, to get the refund, you can go to ANY pension office and ANY dong office, it doesn't matter where your residence is or was, you don't even have to go to the same city.

You need:
Social Security Number
Non-return plane ticket out of Korea
Your Korean ID number (write this down if you are leaving BEFORE you claim your pension as they take the ID away at the airport).
Your bank account number (any Korean bank)
Your passport

[kangnamdragon]

Employers do not pay 50%. They match what you pay. You will still have to pay 4.5% of your gross income, and your employer will match that.

[Son Deureo!]

[Mr. Literal]

[prairieboy]

I believe I understand what your saying.

You pay 4.5% of your wages, no matter what.

And when your workplace employs more than 5 full-time employees (not just foreigners but full-time employees including foreigners and Koreans if they hire foreigners) then the total payable is 9% of your wages and the employer matches your contribution. You still pay 4.5% and the employer now matches that 4.5%, thus paying 50% of the premiums.

I understand this now. I was confused by this myself earlier.

Check out the information on the pension website that explains who can be covered as a workplace employee:

http://www.npc.or.kr/eng/enpsk.html?code=./enpsk/a01.html

Cheers

[hjkorea]

two weeks ago, i also got a letter about this national pension plan. i attend korean classes at a university in seoul but i also do a few privates. am i required to send this form back with my income info and bank infomation? does anyone know? if i just ignore the letter, are they going to come looking for me?

[haya]

My hagwon is evading the pension issue. They don't pay into it, and neither do we (the foreigners). My hagwon just wants to be stingy and save their own money. Meanwhile, I would like to pay into it (considering that I get back double what I pay, since the employer matches what I pay and I'll get it all in the end, right?).

Anyone else have this problem? What can or should I do? I don't want to stir the waters and make trouble for myself with the management, since I generally like where I work.

[prairieboy]

hjk...if you aren't working "legally" then you have no income to report so in my opinion you shouldn't worry about it.

You can call them and tell them that you're a student and do not work. At least then they will be able to tell you you don't have to pay. There is an exemption for students over the age of 27. It's on the back of the letter they send out to you and an exemption for the unemployed also listed on the same letter.

haya...you can pay into pension yourself then and totally bypass your hogwon. Call the pension office and ask how to do it. Or you could just call them and tell them that you believe the hogwon is not paying pension because they would have to match it.

Either way, you may have to pay back premiums you haven't been paying so cover yourself and contact them if you want to pay into it.

You can contact them by dialling 1355. Get a korean friend to help you as they don't seem to have anyone who can speak English.

Cheers

[nolin nae]

even if your hagwon is not legally responsible for paying the pension (i.e. under 5 full-time employees) they are supposed to get you under the pension plan. all foreingers working in korea on an E2 visa should be paying it.