On September 1, 2026, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported, 'Cases where foreigners who have worked for only a short period in South Korea make a lump-sum 'additional payment' for National Pension premiums and receive a pension have become a problem, and the government will begin to review the system.'

According to the article, the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the National Pension Service announced on the 1st that they would improve the additional payment system for foreigners. The 'domestic residency period,' which previously used foreign registration or visa maintenance periods as criteria, will be revised to use the 'actual residency period,' based on the period actually lived in South Korea. Specifically, submission of certificates such as entry and exit records will be mandated, and among the months from entry to exit, only months in which a person actually stayed in South Korea for 15 days or more will be recognized as a residency period.

Separately from this, the Ministry of Health and Welfare plans to proceed with legal revisions to apply 'reciprocity,' which has been applied to National Pension enrollment and lump-sum payments, to additional payments as well. Only nationals of countries that allow resident Koreans to make additional payments will be allowed to make additional payments in South Korea.

In addition, a review of the entire National Pension system, including dependent family pensions, will also proceed. Prior to this in South Korea, mainly focusing on ethnic Koreans from China, cases had been reported to be increasing where individuals, after working for a short period in South Korea and enrolling in the National Pension, made a lump-sum 'additional payment' for premiums to meet the 120-month enrollment period required for pension receipt, and subsequently received pensions for extended periods, which had caused controversy. Minister Jeong Eun-kyeong of the Ministry of Health and Welfare stated that 'the National Pension is a system to guarantee the old-age income of citizens residing in South Korea' and indicated an intention to prevent abuse of the system where pensions could be received even with short-term stays.

In response to this article, many comments opposing the use of the additional payment system by foreigners were received from South Korean net users, such as: 'It's called 'National Pension' in the first place, so why do foreigners get money?' 'I think people who are not South Korean nationals shouldn't even be allowed to join.' ''Additional payments' are for housewives and the unemployed, so why are they allowed for foreigners? Why do South Koreans have to support foreigners until they die?' 'Foreigners who have already abused the system and are receiving pensions should also be reinvestigated.' and 'Quietly return the money you received.' (Translation/Editing by Asae)