South Korea's Basic Pension for Korean residents aged 65+: up to 349,700 KRW/month (2026) for single households. 2026 cutoff: 2.47M KRW (single) / 3.952M KRW (couple) monthly income-recognition amount
| Single-household cutoff (monthly) | 2,470,000 KRW |
| Couple-household cutoff (monthly) | 3,952,000 KRW |
| Single-household base pension (max/mo) | 349,700 KRW |
| Couple-household base pension (max/mo) | 559,520 KRW (279,760 each, 20% couple discount) |
| Age | 65+ (apply from 1 month before your 65th birthday) |
| Nationality/Residency | Korean citizen residing in South Korea |
| Income | Income recognition ≤ cutoff (single 2.47M / couple 3.952M KRW/mo) |
| Exclusions | Korean government/private school/military/post-office pension recipients and their spouses (with limited exceptions) |
| NPS linkage | Pension reduced in steps if monthly National Pension exceeds 150% of base (≈ 525k KRW in 2026) |
| Both spouses receive | 20% reduction each → up to 279,760 KRW per person |
| NPS linkage reduction | Applied in steps when NPS ≥ 1.5× base (~525k KRW) |
| Income-inversion prevention | Partial reduction when income-recognition nears the combined cutoff |
| Other | Linkage limits with government/private school/military pensions |
| Wage / business income | (monthly avg − basic deduction ~1.08M) × 70% |
| Income from assets | Actual interest, dividends, rental income |
| General property | Housing, land, deposits summed minus basic exemption (Seoul etc. 135M, mid-city 85M, rural 72.5M KRW) converted at 4%/yr |
| Financial assets | After 20M KRW basic exemption, 4%/yr conversion |
| Vehicles | Cars ≥ 30M KRW (except business-use / disability) counted fully as monthly income |
| First application | Starts 1 month before your 65th birthday |
| Retroactive | Payment begins the month you apply — no retroactive backdating |
| Monthly payout | 25th of each month (prior business day if 25th is a holiday) |
| Annual review | NPS rechecks income/assets yearly to confirm continued eligibility |
Cutoffs and base amounts are officially announced by the Korean Ministry of Health & Welfare every January — always check the latest notice.
| Health & Welfare Hotline | 129 (toll-free, Korea only) |
| Korea NPS Customer Center | 1355 |
| Bokjiro Customer Center | 1566-0133 |
This is a South Korea–only summary of public guidance from the Korean Ministry of Health & Welfare and National Pension Service as of April 2026. Cutoffs and base amounts update each January. Actual pensions depend on NPS linkage, couple discount, income-inversion adjustment, and occupational pension overlap. The calculator provides a non-binding estimate; confirm with the Korean Bokjiro calculator, an NPS branch, or a Korean community center before relying on any figure.
Korea's Basic Pension (기초연금) is a public benefit paid by the South Korean Ministry of Health & Welfare to the bottom 70% of Korean residents aged 65 and older by income-recognition amount. The NPS (National Pension Service) screens and pays the benefit. In 2026, the single-household cutoff rose to 2,470,000 KRW/month and the couple cutoff to 3,952,000 KRW/month; the base payment is up to 349,700 KRW/month for single households and 559,520 KRW/month combined for couples (279,760 KRW each after the 20% couple discount). Recipients of Korea's government, private school, military, or postal occupational pensions (and their spouses) are generally excluded. Apply from one month before your 65th birthday at a Korean community center, NPS branch, via Bokjiro online, or through the home-visit service.
Yes. If your Korean National Pension exceeds 1.5× the base amount (~525,000 KRW in 2026), the Basic Pension is reduced in steps — but the statutory minimum still applies.
Yes. When both spouses receive it, each benefit is cut by 20% — up to about 279,760 KRW each (≈ 559,520 KRW combined).
Yes, provided your income-recognition amount is below the cutoff (2.47M single / 3.952M couple). The home's assessed value minus the Korean basic-asset exemption (135M KRW in big cities) is converted at 4%/yr and added to income.
Generally no. Recipients of Korea's public occupational pensions (government, private school, military, postal) and their spouses are excluded, with limited exceptions for disability/survivor cases — check with the NPS.
Start one month before your 65th birthday. Payments begin from the application month — there's no retroactive payment — so apply early.
Payments pause when you stay abroad continuously for 60 days or more, resuming on return. Report long overseas stays to the Korean NPS in advance.
South Korea's 2026 Basic Pension is a public benefit from the Korean Ministry of Health & Welfare, administered by the National Pension Service, for Korean residents aged 65 and older in the bottom 70% by income-recognition. For 2026, the single-household cutoff rose to 2,470,000 KRW/month and the couple cutoff to 3,952,000 KRW/month, while the base payment increased to a maximum of 349,700 KRW/month for single households and 559,520 KRW/month for couples (279,760 each after the 20% couple discount). Income recognition combines wage and business income (after a basic deduction and 70% factor) with asset-to-income conversion (housing/land/deposits after Korean basic-asset exemptions of 135M/85M/72.5M KRW converted at 4%/yr). Receiving Korea's National Pension above 1.5× the base (~525,000 KRW) triggers a stepped reduction, and recipients of Korean government, private school, military, or postal occupational pensions (and their spouses) are generally excluded. Apply one month before your 65th birthday at a Korean community center, NPS branch, on Bokjiro (bokjiro.go.kr), or via the home-visit service; payouts arrive on the 25th of each month. For inquiries, use the Korean Basic Pension Portal (basicpension.mohw.go.kr), Bokjiro, Health & Welfare Hotline 129, or NPS 1355. Applies to residents of the Republic of Korea.