Over 300,000 national pension subscribers receive premium support

A national pension premium support program for regional subscribers who cannot afford contributions due to job loss or business closure has surpassed 300,000 cumulative beneficiaries in its first three years. A large share of recipients have continued paying premiums on their own after support ended, and researchers say the program is playing a meaningful role in securing retirement income for vulnerable groups.

According to a performance evaluation report on the national pension regional subscriber premium support system, released Tuesday by National Pension Research Institute researchers Jeong In-young, Yoo Ho-seon and Oh Jong-seok, a total of 316,837 people received premium support through the program in the three years from its launch in July 2022 through June 2025.

The cumulative amount disbursed to those recipients totaled 119.34 billion won ($77.1 million), with each person receiving an average monthly subsidy of 44,176 won over an average of 8.53 months.

The program covers regional subscribers who had been exempt from premium payments for economic reasons and are resuming contributions. The government covers half of their monthly premium, up to a maximum of 46,350 won per month.

Among applicants, those who had stopped paying due to job loss accounted for more than 95 percent of cases. By age group, people in their 50s and older — who tend to have greater concerns about retirement preparedness — made up about 40 percent of all applicants.

About 70 percent of all applicants fell in the low-income bracket, with a standard monthly income between 1 million won and 1.09 million won.

Using statistical methods to analyze the program's effects, the researchers found a significant structural shift in the rate at which subscribers resumed premium payments after the program launched.

Subscribers who received premium support paid contributions for significantly more months than those who did not. The effect was more pronounced among older subscribers and those with lower incomes.

The program's most notable outcome is that subscribers have continued making pension contributions even after their support period ends.

A follow-up survey of subscribers who had used the full 12-month maximum support period found that 90.8 percent were still steadily paying premiums as of June 2025. Older subscribers, those with higher incomes and those with longer prior enrollment periods tended to sustain payments at higher rates.

Only 4.4 percent of recipients applied again for a payment exemption within six months of their support ending.

In light of these findings, the report recommended extending the current lifetime cap of 12 months per person to build a longer-term support structure, similar to the existing premium support system for farmers and fishers.

Meanwhile, the government this year expanded the program's eligibility from those resuming payments to all low-income regional subscribers, reflecting findings that the program's effects are most pronounced among vulnerable groups.