Since nationals of the contracting country under a totalization agreement (Canada, Québec, USA, Germany, Hungary, France, Australia, Czech Republic, Belgium, Poland, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Romania, Austria, India, Turkiye, Brazil, Peru, Luxembourg, Slovenia, Croatia, Uruguay and Philippines) are treated equally with Korean nationals regarding benefit payment, they are eligible for a lump-sum refund as well as pension benefits. Therefore, if you (a national of Canada, USA, Germany, Hungary, France, Australia, Czech Republic, Belgium, Poland, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Romania, Austria, India, Turkiye, Brazil, Peru, Luxembourg, Slovenia, Croatia, Uruguay, and Philippines) pass away, permanently leave Korea, reach the age of 60, or meet other conditions of entitlement for the lump-sum refund before qualifying for the Old Age, Disability or Survivors Pension under the National Pension Act, the lump-sum refund may be paid to you or your survivors (in case of your death).

※ In accordance with the respective agreement, the payment of the lump-sum refund to Irish, Danish, Spanish, Swedish, Finnish, New Zealand and Norwegian nationals is not permitted, but the payment of the lump-sum refund to Swiss nationals is permitted.

※ In accordance with the agreement, the payment of the lump-sum refund to Vietnamese nationals can be made after Vietnam’s pension domestic law is prepared to allow for totalizing the periods of coverage.

If your country does not have a social security agreement with Korea, you are not treated equally with Korean nationals regarding the lump-sum refund, but are treated according to a reciprocity rule. Under this rule, only the nationals from the following 25 countries may receive the Korean lump-sum refund:

Bhutan, Cameroon, Grenada, Saint Vincent and Grenadines, Jordan, Thailand, Zimbabwe (if at least 12 months of contributions are completed); Belize (if at least 6 months of contributions are completed); Bermuda, Ghana, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, El Salvador, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Colombia, Hong Kong, Kenya, Trinidad and Tobago, Vanuatu, Tunisia, Uganda, Cambodia, and Solomon Is.

In addition, persons who are employed at a workplace covered by the National Pension as a foreign worker stipulated in the act on employment of foreign workers (fall under E-9 or H-2 visa status under the Enforcement Decree of the Immigration Control Act) and persons who are employed at the workplace covered by the National Pension as a person who has status of sojourn eligible for doing industrial trainee activities and does not desert the designated training places during required training periods under Article 10 of the Immigration Control Act (fall under E-8 visa status under the Enforcement Decree of the Immigration Control Act) are eligible for the lump-sum refund.