Enrolling in employment insurance

Employment insurance covers you if you lose your job or take parental leave. Foreign residents are covered depending on their status.

What to know

1. Filing enrolment is the employer's duty.
2. Application differs by status — compulsory, voluntary or excluded. Check your own status with 1350.
3. Premiums are split between worker and employer.
4. Your enrolment period directly determines unemployment benefit eligibility.
5. You can check your record on the employment insurance website.

Steps

1. Check the employment insurance deduction on your payslip.
2. Check your record at www.ei.go.kr or with 1350.
3. If not enrolled, ask the employer to file it.
4. If refused, tell the employment centre or 1350. Retroactive enrolment is sometimes possible.

What you need

• Passport and Alien Registration Card
• Labour contract
• Payslips

Where to go

• Employment insurance www.ei.go.kr · 1350
• Your employment centre
• Your local support centre for foreign workers

Questions people ask

I'm on E-9 — am I covered? Whether it is compulsory or voluntary depends on your status. Check your case with 1350.

My company says "it doesn't apply to foreigners". It depends on status, so checking comes first. Not filing when you are covered is unlawful.

It is deducted but I'm not enrolled. If it was deducted from your pay, there is a duty to file. Take your payslip to 1350.

What happens when I leave Korea? Employment insurance premiums are generally not refunded, unlike the national pension.

Take care

Today's enrolment record is what makes unemployment benefit possible later. Don't let non-enrolment slide — check it.

Related

unemployment-benefit · four-major-insurances · childcare-leave-benefit

Source

Ministry of Employment and Labor www.ei.go.kr / As of 2026-08