← South Korea's unemployment rate
Unemployment Benefits in South Korea
Workers covered by Employment Insurance who lose their job can get job-seeking benefit (unemployment benefit) through the Ministry of Employment and Labor's employment centres and the Work24 portal.
✓ From official pages ✓ Each part says when we checked
At a glance
Ministry of Employment and Labor (Employment Insurance)
activities
Ministry of Employment and Labor customer counselling centre (employment and labour questions; weekdays 09:00-18:00, charged)
The job market in South Korea
The International Labour Organization's estimates put South Korea 28th lowest of 183 countries for unemployment in 2025; the world's rate was 4.9%.
South Korea's unemployment rate over the years · every country, ranked
What to do first
- Register with the public employment service, Employment centres (고용센터), Ministry of Employment and Labor. Official page
- Apply for Unemployment benefit / job-seeking benefit (실업급여 / 구직급여): register as a job seeker and apply at an employment centre / Work24; unemployment is then recognised on set dates, online or in person. Official page
- Keep up with the job-search rule while you claim (below), and keep a record of where you applied.
- Search the government's job listings on Work24 (고용24). Official page
- Questions: call 1350 (Ministry of Employment and Labor customer counselling centre (employment and labour questions; weekdays 09:00-18:00, charged)).
Unemployment benefit / job-seeking benefit (실업급여 / 구직급여)
Who can get it. Unemployed people insured under Employment Insurance; the length depends on insured period and age at leaving.
How to claim. Register as a job seeker and apply at an employment centre / Work24; unemployment is then recognised on set dates, online or in person.
From an official page, read October 26, 2026.
Looking for work while you claim
At the 1st recognition date claimants attend group training at the centre; at the 2nd to 4th recognition dates at least 1 re-employment activity; from the 5th, at least 2, including at least 1 active job search such as an application or interview.
Reporting. On each unemployment recognition date, online or at the employment centre
From an official page, read October 26, 2026.
Keep my work search record for South Korea
Free. It lists where you applied and what else you did to look for work, each line ready to copy into the form you report on, and counts it against South Korea's number. It is your own record: we send nothing to any government.
Help finding work
- The public employment service: Employment centres (고용센터), Ministry of Employment and Labor
- The government's job listings: Work24 (고용24)
Who to call
Ministry of Employment and Labor customer counselling centre (employment and labour questions; weekdays 09:00-18:00, charged): 1350.
From an official page, read October 26, 2026.
Questions
Is there unemployment benefit in South Korea?
Yes: Unemployment benefit / job-seeking benefit (실업급여 / 구직급여), paid by Ministry of Employment and Labor (Employment Insurance).
How do I claim unemployment benefit in South Korea?
Register as a job seeker and apply at an employment centre / Work24; unemployment is then recognised on set dates, online or in person.
Do I have to look for work while I claim in South Korea?
At the 1st recognition date claimants attend group training at the centre; at the 2nd to 4th recognition dates at least 1 re-employment activity; from the 5th, at least 2, including at least 1 active job search such as an application or interview.
Who do I call about unemployment in South Korea?
Ministry of Employment and Labor customer counselling centre (employment and labour questions; weekdays 09:00-18:00, charged): 1350.
Where can I get help finding a job in South Korea?
The public employment service is Employment centres (고용센터), Ministry of Employment and Labor. The government lists jobs on Work24 (고용24).
Nearby countries
China
Hong Kong
Japan
Macao
Mongolia
Taiwan
Where this comes from
Every part of this page was read on an official website, and each links the page it came from and the day we checked it. Rules and amounts change, so check that page before you rely on a figure. Jobareer is not part of any government and cannot see or change a claim.
See also: unemployment rate by country · South Korea's unemployment rate · unemployment in the US, state by state.