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Emergency Welfare Aid

If Korean citizens have difficulty subsisting due to a sudden crisis, they can receivetemporary support such as living costs. Foreigners can also benefit under this systemaccording to ordinances.

01 Qualifications of foreign residents for emergency welfare aid (Article 1-2 of the Decree on the Emergency Aid and Support Act)

  1. 1Foreign residents who are married to Korean citizens
  2. 2Foreign residents who have divorced from Korean spouses or whose spouses are dead, and who aretaking care of the parents or children of Korean spouses
  3. 3Foreign residents who are deemed refugees in accordance with Paragraph 2, Article 2 of theNational Refugee Law
  4. 4Foreign residents who have been victims of fire, crime, or natural disaster through no fault of their own
  5. 5Foreign residents who are deemed as requiring emergency support by the Minister of Health andWelfare as follows:
    • Foreign residents who are victims of disaster through no fault of their own
    • Foreign residents visiting the country for humanitarian purposes in accordance with Paragraph 3,Article 2 of the National Refugee Law

02 Qualifications

This aims to support families who are having difficulty maintaining livelihood due to an unexpectedcrisis. It targets those who are ① in crisis (for one of the seven reasons below) or who ② meet theconditions related to income, property, etc.

(1) Emergency Cases

  1. 1Loss of income occurring due to the death of the main income earner, runaway/abandonment,missing person, detention, etc.
  2. 2Serious illness or injury
  3. 3Neglect, abandonment or abuse by a member of the family
  4. 4Household violence or sexual violence
  5. 5Unable to live in house or building due to fire
  6. 6Difficulties in performing business due to temporary or permanent closure, a fire in a place ofbusiness, etc. of the primary or the secondary earner
  7. 7 Deprivation of the main source of income due to loss of job of the primary or the secondary earnery
  8. 8Cause or event specified by ordinance of each local government pursuant to Ordinance of theMinistry of Health and Welfare
  9. 9Other cases specified and publicly announced by the Ministry of Health and Welfare ① divorcefrom the primary earner, ② suspension of power supply, ③ release from correctional institution,④ homelessness due to neglect, abandonment, or difficulty in livelihood, ⑤ referral by relateddepartment (institutions) for discovery of blind spots, integrated case management, or high-risk ofsuicide

(2) Income and property standard conditions

  • Income: Less than 75% of the standard median monthly income (as of 2021)
Income and property standard conditions
Family size1234567
KRW/Month1,370,8732,316,0592,987,9633,657,2184,318,0304,971,4525,622,899
  • Property standard: Big city (188,000,000 won), small or medium-sized city (118,000,000 won),farming and fishing villages (101,000,000 won)
  • Financial property standard: 5 million won or less (7 million won or less in case of housing support)

03 Application and Other Procedures

  • In the event of an emergency, inquire at corresponding branch offices of your city, gun, gu, eup,myeon or dong, or the Health & Welfare Counseling Center (☎ 129).
  • Public officers will conduct a field investigation, provide aid, and conduct a second review. If theresults of the second review determine that the applicant no longer needs or qualifies for support,support is discontinued and the funds may have to be returned.
  • If emergency situations do not improve after emergency welfare program is completed, beneficiariesmay be transferred to the related national aid systems or private welfare programs.
Emergency Aid Procedure
  • Ask for support and report
  • On-site
    examination and advanced supportMayors, governors of gun or heads of gu offices (Officials in charge of emergency aid)
  • Post examinationExamination of income and property
  • Eligibility review• Emergency Support Deliberation Commission (Public-Private Partnership)
    • Support ended if it is deemed to be inappropriate/return of support funding
  • Post handoverBasic livelihood aid / Private support program
Health and Welfare Call Center(☎129)
Program representative
Mayors, governors of gun or
heads of gu offices

04 Types of Aid(for a family of 4/month)

Support livelihood costs (1,266,900 won), housing costs (643,200 won), medical costs (3 million won/one time)

  • Other additional payment includes education cost, fuel costs (Oct.~Mar.), childbirth expenses, funeral expenses, electric charges, etc.
Standard of livelihood(as of 2021)
(Unit: KRW/Month)
Standard of livelihood(as of 2021)
No. of family member 123456
Amount supported474,600802,0001,035,0001,266,9001,496,7001,722,100
  • When the number is 7 or higher, KRW 225,400 is paid for every additional person.
I am married to a Korean husband, and I have a child.My husband died suddenly and I am now having financial problems.Can I get help?

If you have a child to care (with the nationality of the Republic of Korea) and have difficulty inmaintaining your livelihood, you are eligible for emergency welfare support. The public officerof the city, gun or gu will conduct due diligence to determine the degree of the emergency,income, and financial status, and decide your eligibility. Please contact the department incharge of the cities, guns and gus, community service centers of eups, myeons, and dongs, orthe Health & Welfare Call Center (☎129). If you have difficulty communicating in Korean, youmay use the translation and interpretation services of the Multicultural Family Support Center orenlist the help of a Korean friend. If you are eligible, you may receive basic living support.

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