Understand the cost of Korean self-employed Employment Insurance
Choosing coverage for a small business starts with a practical budget: the premium you can pay each month, the subsidy you may receive later, and the cost after support ends.
This calculator compares seven remuneration grades, national premium refunds, confirmed local support and conditional unemployment benefits following closure.
It keeps regular business expenses separate from benefits that require an independent eligibility decision.
A possible future benefit is never deducted from premiums or presented as a guaranteed investment return.
Korea-based planning for 2026
All monetary amounts are Korean won (KRW).
The rules were checked on September 11, 2026, and apply to Korean self-employed coverage that includes unemployment benefits.
This page does not determine enrollment, small-business eligibility, refund approval or benefit entitlement.
- New applicants can compare affordable premiums and grade-specific benefit reference levels.
- Existing members can check whether they have separately applied for premium support.
- Members nearing the support limit can budget for the return to full premiums.
- Owners and families considering closure can prepare coverage histories and evidence for an employment-center consultation.
The 2026 premium and national support table
The monthly premium is the chosen remuneration base multiplied by 2.25%: 0.25% for employment stability and vocational development, plus 2% for unemployment benefits.
It is not calculated by multiplying your actual business revenue by this rate.
The following support figures apply only when national eligibility and the relevant support month are established.
2026 Korean self-employed Employment Insurance grades, monthly bases, premiums, national subsidies and net costs in KRW| Grade | Monthly base | Premium | Support rate | National refund | Net cost |
|---|
| 1 | 1,820,000 | 40,950 | 80% | 32,760 | 8,190 |
| 2 | 2,080,000 | 46,800 | 80% | 37,440 | 9,360 |
| 3 | 2,340,000 | 52,650 | 60% | 31,590 | 21,060 |
| 4 | 2,600,000 | 58,500 | 60% | 35,100 | 23,400 |
| 5 | 2,860,000 | 64,350 | 50% | 32,175 | 32,175 |
| 6 | 3,120,000 | 70,200 | 50% | 35,100 | 35,100 |
| 7 | 3,380,000 | 76,050 | 50% | 38,025 | 38,025 |
The net cost is the amount left after receiving a refund; it is not the initial premium bill.
Pay the gross premium first, then wait for payment and eligibility verification.
The published Grade 5 and Grade 7 refunds are KRW 32,175 and KRW 38,025; this calculator preserves those amounts instead of truncating them to multiples of ten.
Prepare separate budget inputs and benefit-history inputs
Forward premium budget
Choose a grade and a planning horizon of 1–120 months.
The calculation holds that grade and the 2026 rules constant throughout the period.
It does not promise that later years will retain the same rates or support programs.
Current age provides relevant guidance; coverage itself is a separate confirmation input.
Recognized coverage at closure
Enter the self-employed insured period recognized at the assumed closure date, plus the qualifying period within the preceding 24 months.
The forward budget months are not automatically added to this history.
Business operating time may differ from recognized coverage because of gaps, nonpayment or other circumstances.
Use contribution notices and official coverage records.
Recent qualifying months cannot exceed total insured months.
Invalid ranges withhold results, and exact day-level eligibility boundaries require confirmation with COMWEL or the employment center.
Training-only coverage is outside this calculator: the seven-grade full-coverage premium and benefit package must not be applied to it.
Apply the 60-month national support limit
- Select whether eligibility and the application are confirmed, unverified, or excluded.
The unverified option models receiving support but keeps personal eligibility explicitly unresolved.
- Enter previously subsidized months.
Subtract them from the maximum of 60 months and apply only the remaining months within the current plan.
- Enter the months before applying within this planning period.
Zero means applying in month 1; a value of two removes national support from the first two premium months.
- Review the grade comparison and the selected-grade monthly schedule together.
The full premium becomes payable again after a support period ends.
No retrospective support before the application month
The 2026 notice ties support to the application month and does not subsidize premiums arising before it.
This differs from subsequently paying overdue premiums for months after support started, which the notice addresses separately.
The calculator models normally paid full months and does not reconstruct an individual arrears settlement.
An unverified support scenario should also be compared with the no-support option before committing to a premium budget.
Add only a confirmed local quote for the selected grade
Local eligibility, duration and compatibility with national support vary by program.
Check the applicable notice for your business or residence, then enter the actual monthly amount and remaining duration for the selected grade.
No local subsidy is applied without the confirmation checkbox.
Changing the grade clears the local quote so that an amount approved for one grade is not carried into another.
Monthly cap and timing
Applied local support is the smaller of the entered monthly amount and that month’s premium minus national support.
Combined support cannot exceed the premium; the minimum net cost is zero.
The local amount does not automatically rise when national support ends.
The local period starts in the first month of this plan; if your confirmed program starts later or changes amounts, split the budget into appropriate periods.
Worked cost comparisons
Grade 1, supported for all 12 months
A monthly premium of KRW 40,950 less a national refund of KRW 32,760 leaves KRW 8,190.
Across 12 supported months, gross premiums are KRW 491,400, national support totals KRW 393,120, and net cost is KRW 98,280.
You still need enough cash for the gross premiums before the refunds arrive.
After using 59 support months
Only one national refund of KRW 32,760 remains in the same Grade 1 twelve-month plan.
Net cost therefore becomes KRW 458,640.
After using all 60 months, no national subsidy remains and the cost is KRW 491,400.
Alternatively, with no previous support but a two-month delay before applying, ten refunds total KRW 327,600 and net cost is KRW 163,800.
Moving from Grade 2 to Grade 3
In supported months, net costs are KRW 9,360 and KRW 21,060, a difference of KRW 11,700.
The support rate falls from 80% to 60% while the remuneration base rises.
The corresponding same-grade 30-day benefit references are KRW 1,248,000 and KRW 1,404,000, a difference of KRW 156,000.
Historical coverage and entitlement conditions still apply, so this is not a guaranteed gain from changing grade.
Benefit duration and closure eligibility are separate tests
Employment Insurance Act Article 69-3 requires at least one recognized qualifying year as a self-employed insured person in the 24 months before closure.
The applicant must also be able and willing to work, remain unemployed, have a qualifying reason for closure, and actively seek re-employment.
Selecting economic hardship, illness or disaster in this calculator merely identifies a scenario requiring evidence review.
1 to under 3 years: 120 days
3 to under 5 years: 150 days
5 to under 10 years: 180 days
10 years or more: 210 days
These are the self-employed durations in Article 69-6 and Annex 2, not the age-dependent employee table.
Older age does not add days.
Article 10 exclusions, including starting self-employment after age 65, and any continuity of existing coverage require confirmation with COMWEL.
A voluntary career change or reopening without just cause, legal violations and serious attributable misconduct need consideration under Article 69-7.
This calculation does not combine employee coverage periods or add extended benefits or early re-employment allowances.
A grade reference is different from a historical benefit calculation
Same-grade 30-day planning reference
Monthly base × 60% gives the grade’s 30-day reference level.
Dividing by 30 and multiplying by the potential benefit days produces a standardized comparison total.
For Grade 1 and 120 days, that means KRW 36,400 per comparison day and KRW 4,368,000 in total.
These figures do not settle the actual calendar-day denominator or the effect of changing grades during the historical period.
Verified remuneration and insured days
Under Article 69-4, the basic daily amount is the relevant remuneration sum divided by the total days in that period.
Article 69-5 then applies 60%.
Use the final three insured years before closure if coverage is at least three years, or the applicable recognized period if shorter.
The selected current grade alone cannot replace that history.
For a verified remuneration sum of KRW 21,840,000 over 365 days and 120 potential benefit days, the displayed total is approximately KRW 4,308,164.
The calculator keeps intermediate precision and rounds the final display to whole won.
The employment center determines actual rounding, payable days and entitlement.
Zero remuneration or zero days withholds the historical estimate rather than substituting an assumed base.
Practical documents and limitations
- First enrollment: verify business registration, actual operation and eligible insurance coverage.
The general insurance enrollment boundary of fewer than 50 workers differs from the small-business subsidy definition.
- Businesses with workers: check the 2026 support notice’s usual threshold of fewer than five regular workers, or fewer than ten in mining, manufacturing, construction and transport, together with industry-specific revenue limits.
A selection in this form does not replace official small-business evidence.
- Joint owners and changed business details: the notice limits support to one joint owner and requires attention to reapplication when owner or registration details change.
Insurance enrollment alone does not prove that a support application was completed.
- Next-year grade changes: Article 49-2 of the Premium Collection Act provides for applying by December 20 of the preceding year to change the base for the next insurance year.
Changing this calculator does not modify a policy or previously paid premiums.
- Partial months and arrears: actual premiums may be prorated when coverage begins or ends during a month.
This page budgets whole months; use official bills for partial months, late payments and arrears settlements.
Frequently asked questions
Does low income automatically mean Grade 1?
No.
The applicant chooses among the published remuneration bases with the desired coverage level in mind.
This calculator does not assign a grade from actual revenue.
Can I compare costs before confirming subsidy eligibility?
Yes.
The unverified option shows a support scenario with a clear unresolved status.
Also compare the no-support case and verify your position through Small Business 24.
Does premium support reduce my unemployment benefit?
Premium support is treated as a refund of contributions.
Benefits use the applicable insured history and eligibility rules; the calculator does not subtract subsidies from a benefit.
Is operating a business for a year enough to receive benefits?
No.
Business operating time and recognized insurance coverage can differ.
Recent qualifying periods, paid contributions, closure reasons and job-search requirements all matter.
Will a full year of refunds arrive immediately?
No.
Payment is checked for the relevant premium months.
The total support figure is an attributed-cost comparison, not an upfront grant or a promise of a deposit date.
What does the CSV contain?
It records the rule date, inputs, support status, benefit method, grade comparison and selected-grade monthly schedule.
Keep the original notices and contribution records because this export is not application evidence.
Official evidence and update dates
Verified September 11, 2026.
Employment Insurance Act MST 283373 is effective August 20, 2026.
The review also covers Premium Collection Act MST 247481, Article 49-2, and its Enforcement Decree MST 280527, Article 56-19.
The remuneration bases come from MOEL Notice 2022-497, effective January 1, 2023.
National support uses the 2026 program in MSS Notice 2025-660.
Later rate changes, budget exhaustion and individual decisions take precedence over this fixed-rule scenario.
Save the comparison and prepare the application
New applicants can check the combined coverage-and-support application route through COMWEL’s Employment and Industrial Accident Insurance Total Service.
Existing members can find the support program on Small Business 24 and apply separately, preparing small-business evidence and contribution records when requested.
Premiums are paid first.
The notice gives an example of a refund about two months after payment, but the actual deposit date must be checked with the responsible institution.
For enrollment, contact COMWEL at 1588-0075; for support, contact the integrated call center at 1533-0100.
Recalculate with your grade and remaining support months