'Industrial accident compensation representative' regime to take effect March 30 next year, with 3.9 billion won budgeted
Covers claims for occupational disease, survivors' benefits, and review proceedings
State covers all costs; representative fees capped at 700,000 won per case
Low-income workers who have struggled to file industrial accident compensation claims due to financial constraints will be able to receive free legal assistance from attorneys and labor consultants starting next March. The state will cover the cost of appointing a representative not only for filing workers' compensation benefits but also for challenging related decisions through review and re-examination proceedings.
The Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service said Sunday that 3.9 billion won ($2.91 million) to operate the "industrial accident compensation representative" regime has been included in the government's 2027 budget proposal. The amendment to the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act that provides the legal basis for the regime passed the National Assembly plenary session in September and takes effect March 30 next year.
The regime covers workers subject to industrial accident insurance whose average monthly pay falls below 3 million won, as well as their surviving family members. It is designed to ensure that those who have had difficulty accessing professional help due to financial circumstances can receive legal assistance from representatives such as attorneys and labor consultants.
Support extends to claims for insurance benefits related to occupational disease and survivors' benefits, as well as review and re-examination requests challenging those decisions. Occupational diseases including hearing loss and pneumoconiosis are excluded from coverage, however.
The state bears all costs of appointing a representative, leaving no out-of-pocket expense for applicants. Fees paid to representatives are capped at 700,000 won per case.
The Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service expects that having industrial accident specialists assist with document submission and other tasks from the earliest stages of an application will strengthen the rights of low-income workers and improve both the speed and reliability of accident determinations. The agency plans to begin building a pool of qualified representatives in preparation for the regime's launch.
"The industrial accident compensation representative regime is the result of a strong commitment by the state to lower the barriers to filing industrial accident claims and to genuinely protect the benefit rights of injured workers," Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service Chairman Park Seung-heup said. "We will do our utmost to ensure the regime takes hold successfully on the ground through thorough preparation, including assembling a pool of outstanding representatives."
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