Welfare glossary
When a word is unfamiliar, call 129 and ask. It is free.
Terms about who qualifies
- Recipient (수급자) — a person receiving government support.
- Basic livelihood recipient — eligible for livelihood, medical, housing and education benefits. See basic-livelihood.
- Near-poor bracket (차상위계층) — slightly better off than recipients, with separate support available.
- Recognised income (소득인정액) — income and assets combined into one figure; the basis for eligibility decisions.
- Support obligor (부양의무자) — family regarded as having a duty to support you; criteria differ by scheme.
- Household (가구) — those living together and sharing a livelihood; the basic unit of application.
Terms about benefits
- Livelihood / medical / housing / education benefit — the four basic livelihood security benefits.
- Voucher — a use-restricted entitlement. See culture-voucher and energy-voucher.
- In-kind versus cash benefit — given as goods and services, or as money.
- Emergency welfare support — rapid help in a sudden crisis. See emergency-welfare.
Terms about the process
- Application principle (신청주의) — you must apply to receive. The single most important term here.
- Investigation (조사) — verifying income, assets and household circumstances.
- Decision notice (결정통지) — the official document telling you the outcome.
- Appeal (이의신청) — asking for a decision to be reconsidered. See welfare-appeal.
- Retrospective application (소급 적용) — applying from an earlier date; many schemes do not allow it.
Where to go
- 129 Health and Welfare Call Centre (nationwide, free)
- Bokjiro www.bokjiro.go.kr
- Community centres
- 1577-1366 Danuri Call Centre (13 languages)
- 1345 Immigration Contact Centre
Take care
The most important principle in Korean welfare is that you must apply. Even if eligible, you receive nothing without applying — it is never automatic. Once a year, ask at your community centre: "is there any support I can receive?" Circumstances change, and so does eligibility.
Related
welfare-eligibility-check · welfare-application · bokjiro · basic-livelihood · welfare-appeal
Source
Ministry of Health and Welfare, Bokjiro www.bokjiro.go.kr / As of 2026-08