What is Unemployment insurance:
This insurance is designed to assure people who work (and have employment insurance) in Korea that they will receive a certain amount of income in case she/he loses her/his job under specific circumstances.
The support aims to help individuals overcome unemployment hardships, reduce the unemployment rate in Korea and offer the possibility to improve and find new job opportunities.
What are the benefits:
It focuses on helping the unemployed person to be motivated in job seeking and supporting him/her until she secures a job without suffering from unemployment consequences.
One can receive unemployment benefits only if he/she is actively involved in looking for a new job after becoming unemployed while she/he could not successfully finding one.
The benefit will be given only if 12 months did not pass since the 1st day of unemployment.
Who is eligible for the aid that helps with job seeking:
You applied for unemployment insurance and have been covered by it for a minimum of 180 days in the last 18 months (for full-time employees)/24 months (for part-time employees) since the 1st day of unemployment
You are eager to find a job and capable to work
You are engaging in looking for a job
The reason for unemployment: it has been against the employee’s will/it was not his fault
¤ If he/she left the job by resigning, one cannot apply for insurance. However, if the reason for leaving the workplace was due to any of these circumstances she/him will be eligible to apply for insurance if it happened for more than 2 months in 1 year:
The workplace made it difficult for her/him to continue working;
His contractual salary was lower than the average wage;
His contractual salary was delayed;
Asked to work overtime without being paid extra;
Other situations accepted as being eligible for unemployment status:
The bankruptcy of the company;
If the employer encourages the employer to resign in case the company suffers a transfer, merger and acquisition, etc;
Downsizing of personnel or employee’s job is affected by technological development;
Hard to commute due to the relocation of the company or the employee being transferred too far away;
If the employee had to take care of an ill family member for longer than 30 days;
If the employee cannot continue working due to pregnancy, military duty, and childbirth;
If the employee cannot perform the job properly due to a change in mental and physical health state.
How do you get paid:
Job-seeking benefits will be given as follows:
After October 1st, 2019:
60% average pay before unemployment x the no. of days the person is eligible to receive the benefits
How to register:
1. One must fill in the unemployment insurance form as soon as possible since you can receive the benefits in a maximum of 12 months starting with 1st of unemployment
2. Register the form on Worknet and register for being actively seeking a job as well (www.work.go.kr)
3. Participate in the online classes for or locate the job center in the area you live in taking the classes there (https://www.ei.go.kr/ei/eih/cm/hm/main.do).
4. Apply to be accepted as eligible for the benefits
If your application is accepted, you can apply for job-seeking benefits. After being accepted as eligible for the benefits as well, you will have to visit the job center every 1 to 4 weeks and apply to be granted unemployment status.
If your application is declined, you will have to reapply for a Request to review your application after 90 days.
5. After you have been granted unemployment status you will have to actively engage in job searching in order to receive the benefits. If you cannot successfully get employed after the payment of benefits, the job-seeking benefits can be extended.
¤ One can apply for other aids depending on the situation the person has lost their job as relocation, long-distance job search, sickness, etc.
¤ If one gets employed, she/he can still get from 1/3 to 2/3 of the benefits as an early re-employment aid.
Illegally received the benefits:
If one has illegally received the benefits he/she will have to pay the whole TWICE. Once as a refund of the benefits received and once as a penalty.
If illegally received the benefits again, criminal punishment will be received.
If any document has been forged one must also be an extra penalty of 2 to 3 million won.
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