When working abroad, some people find themselves paying two lots of pension payments, even though they will only receive one set of benefits.

To address this, Korea has concluded social security agreements with 24 countries to prevent workers from being forced to make pension payments both overseas and in Korea.

The agreements are designed to help non-Koreans who have worked in Korea but are not eligible for pension benefits because they failed to fulfill the minimum contribution period of 10 to 20 years.

Sixteen countries have agreements on totalization of coverage, including the United States, Canada, India and Ireland.

These agreements free employees stationed abroad for short periods from having to pay social security payments in both countries and allow the pension benefits of both countries to be added up.

“The period of overlapping coverage from different countries, though, is computed under the payment record of one country only,” said the NPS said in a statement.

Another eight countries, including China, the U.K. and Italy, have signed agreements exempting their citizens from paying pension contributions here, under certain conditions. They include cases where they are employed in their home countries but are dispatched to Korea for five years or less; and those who live in their country but are engaged in self-employment in Korea.

Employees from countries with a totalization agreement can apply for a lump-sum refund of the pension contributions and should visit one of NPS’ regional offices with their Alien Registration Card, passport, airline ticket, and the bank book for the account to be paid into.

The refund can also be received in cash at Incheon International Airport before leaving Korea if the ex-employer files a termination of employment notice with the NPS at least one day before the departure date.

Even in the case of illegal immigrants in Korea, their pension contributions are safe and protected regardless of their status, according to the NPS.

“The NPS is not bound by any other Korean government authority or to release the pension information to them,” said the pension service.

All foreign workers in Korea should be covered by the NPS except for those from countries which do not cover Korean nationals, such as South Africa and Vietnam, added the NPS.

“If the employer has not given the NPS the correct information, workers may have to contact the NPS directly to rectify their current classification. If the employee is able to adequately prove that you have been working in Korea as a Workplace-Based Insured Person, the NPS has the legal right to levy employment contributions from the employer,” the NPS said.

By Park Min-young (claire@heraldcorp.com)