Korean Job Discussion Forums

D-Jay · Joined: 24 Jun 2009

I received an e-mail from the public school that I used to work at regarding health insurance. They said that, in Korea, accounts are settled once a year, and now I need to pay an additional 223,000 won. And they want me to remit this amount to their school's bank account.

Has anyone experienced anything like this?

blade · Joined: 30 Jun 2007

Goon-Yang · Joined: 28 May 2009 Location: Duh

You no longer work there, so it's no longer your problem. I agree with the post above this one.

cruisemonkey · Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 2:38 am Post subject:

For sure... yesterday, PayPal and E-Bay's security division sent me an e-mail asking me to reconfirm my registration with them as a security measure to help combat internet fraud. I sent them: the name on the card, number, expiry date, security code and linked, K-bank PIN.

Xuanzang · Joined: 10 Apr 2007 Location: Sadang

Click and delete. Their problem for not keeping the books accurate.

shcforward · Joined: 27 Sep 2009

If you worked a lot of overtime, it could be almost legit.

From what I heard from my school, the amount of money you are supposed to pay for health insurance is calculated based on the total money you get paid, not by your base salary. So schools will sometimes just take out the amount they should for your base salary, and then once or twice a year take out the extra amount based on extra money you earned.

It happened to people I work with and me. We work a lot of overtime though. And the adjustment wasn't close to 223,000, it was closer to ~100,000.

Now, I don't know if they are officially supposed to add in overtime to the amount you are supposed to pay for health insurance, but that's what they said and I couldn't find any sources disputing it

So the amount being that high is fishy, but the health insurance adjustment itself might not be illegitimate.

That said, I agree with the other guys. They should have taken care of that before you finished your contract with them.

Countrygirl · Joined: 19 Nov 2007 Location: in the classroom

Draz · Joined: 27 Jun 2007 Location: Land of Morning Clam

cruisemonkey · Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 6:43 pm Post subject:

Drew345 · Joined: 24 May 2005

I remember getting something like this once about the insurance at the end of the year. It was even followed with "you have 2 days to pay or face jail time". This was with a school I was still working for and planning on renewing with.

hockeyguy109 · Joined: 22 Dec 2008 Location: Daegu

sketcha · Joined: 05 Sep 2007 Location: Seoul, South Korea

I wont be surprise if this is legit ... just another example of great Korean administrative work

but like another poster said - why pay the school, not the insurance company?

I'd probably ignore it as well

D-Jay · Joined: 24 Jun 2009

Thanks everyone for the replies. I was suspicious about them wanting me to send money to them instead of the health insurance office too.

An update: They are continuing to e-mail me, and their e-mails are getting more aggressive (although nothing as extreme as threats of jail time!) They are basically telling me that, if I don't pay them, I'll never be able to get health insurance in Korea again. I'm assuming that's just another empty threat.

Is there an English speaking line at the health insurance office where I can find out whether or not my health insurance taxes are paid in full?

kprrok · Joined: 06 Apr 2004 Location: KC

OiGirl · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Location: Hoke-y-gun

If it is indeed legit, and the school didn't make a payment for you, I would think the national health insurance office would ask you for that amount the next time you apply for insurance.

But that would be somewhat logical...