South Korea Pension Calculator 2026
Calculate South Korea 2026 National Pension (NPS) 9%, Health Insurance (NHIS) 7.09%, Long-term Care 12.95% of NHI, and Employment Insurance contributions for employee and employer. Enter monthly KRW salary to see the full payroll split and net take-home.
| National Pension (NPS) 9% | |
| Employer 4.5% | — |
| Employee 4.5% | — |
| Health Insurance (NHIS) 7.09% | |
| Employer 3.545% | — |
| Employee 3.545% | — |
| Long-term Care 12.95% of NHI | |
| Employer share | — |
| Employee share | — |
| Employment Insurance (EI) | |
| Employer (size-based) | — |
| Employee 0.9% | — |
| Industrial Accident (employer only) | |
| Employer (rate by industry) | — |
| Employee total deductions | — |
| Employer total cost | — |
South Korea has four mandatory social insurance schemes — the so-called four major insurances (4대보험): National Pension, Health Insurance, Employment Insurance, and Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance. A separate Long-term Care Insurance rides on top of Health Insurance. This calculator applies official 2026 rates published by NPS Korea and NHIS.
National Pension (NPS) — 9% Split 50/50
The National Pension Service collects 9% of standard monthly income, split evenly: 4.5% employee + 4.5% employer. The 2026 monthly income ceiling is KRW 5,900,000 and the floor is KRW 370,000. Self-employed workers pay the full 9% themselves. Pension benefits begin at age 63 (gradually rising to 65 by 2033). Foreign workers from countries with a totalization agreement (US, Japan, Germany, etc.) can recover contributions when leaving Korea.
National Health Insurance (NHIS) — 7.09% + Long-term Care
The 2026 health insurance premium rate is 7.09% of monthly remuneration, split equally between employer and employee at 3.545% each. A Long-term Care Insurance premium of 12.95% of the NHI premium is added (also split 50/50). NHIS covers about 60% of medical costs nationwide with no household income cap on quality of care. The monthly contribution ceiling for 2026 is approximately KRW 9.34 million in salary.
Employment Insurance + Industrial Accident
Employment Insurance (EI) protects against job loss and funds maternity/parental leave. The 2026 unemployment insurance rate is 0.9% employee + 0.9% employer. Employers also pay an additional employment stabilization & vocational competency development premium of 0.25%–0.85% depending on company size (more for larger firms). Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance is paid 100% by the employer at rates from ~0.7% (offices) to 3.5%+ (construction), set annually by the Ministry of Employment and Labor.
Common Mistakes Employers Make
(1) Forgetting the Long-term Care rider — it's not a percent of salary but a percent of the NHI premium itself. (2) Under-reporting bonus pay — annual bonuses are subject to NPS and NHIS up to the ceiling. (3) Wrong industrial accident category — the rate ranges 10x between office work and construction; misclassification triggers back-assessment. (4) Missing foreign-worker totalization — workers from agreement countries can claim a lump-sum refund of NPS contributions when departing Korea permanently.
Last updated May 2026. Sources: National Pension Service (NPS) Korea and National Health Insurance Service (NHIS). Rates verified against 2026 published schedules.