Business · Economy · 1 day ago
South Korea offers unclaimed health insurance refunds during October and November
South Korea’s National Health Insurance Service is urging people to check whether they are owed a refund for health insurance premiums they overpaid.
Overpayments can happen when someone pays twice, pays by mistake, or their income or insurance status changes and their premium is recalculated.
From 2021 through 2025, overpaid premiums totalled 4.2477 trillion won, and 455 billion won had not been returned to the people who paid it.
Of that unreturned money, 382 billion won was still unpaid, while 73 billion won could no longer be claimed because the claim period had expired.
The service is running a focused refund payment period in October and November.
People can check and apply on its website or mobile app, by calling its customer centre, or at a local office; they can also register a bank account to receive future refunds automatically.
The service says its refund texts and emails do not contain web links, so people should be wary of messages asking them to click a link or enter personal information.
South Korea’s National Health Insurance Service is running a two-month campaign in October and November to help people claim uncollected health insurance refunds.
The unclaimed refunds total 45.5 billion won, according to the service.
Over the past five years, health insurance overpayments totalled 4.2477 trillion won across about 15.46 million cases.
Of the unreturned money, 38.2 billion won remains unpaid and 7.3 billion won was absorbed into state funds after the claim period expired.
People can check and apply for refunds through the service’s website or mobile app, by phone, or at a local office.
- Who
- South Korea’s National Health Insurance Service and people owed health insurance refunds.
- What
- The service is running a campaign to help people claim uncollected refunds.
- When
- During October and November. The article was published on October 11, 2026.
- Where
- South Korea.
- Why
- To return health insurance premiums that were overpaid or collected in error.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
건강보험료는 국민이 의무적으로 내는 돈인 만큼 처음부터 정확하게 계산해 부과하는 것이 핵심
단순히 나중에 돌려주는 방식에만 의존할 것이 아니라, 반복적인 과오납 원인을 꼼꼼히 분석해 부과 단계부터 오류를 줄여나가야 한다
Health insurance overpayments totalled 4.2477 trillion won across about 15.46 million cases.
The National Health Insurance Service is running a concentrated refund-payment period.
Maeil Business published its report on the refund campaign.
- Unclaimed refunds
- 45.5 billion won
- Overpayments, 2021–2025
- 4.2477 trillion won
- Overpayment cases, 2021–2025
- About 15.46 million
- Still unpaid
- 38.2 billion won
- Absorbed into state funds
- 7.3 billion won
- Claim period
- October and November
Sources
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