Iksan City, Jeonbuk's First to Provide 'Right to Sick Leave' with Sick Leave Allowance Payment

Pilot Project Starts from the 3rd of Next Month... 46,180 Won per Day, Up to 90 Days

Jeonbuk Iksan City (Mayor Jeong Heon-yul) announced on the 22nd that it will be the first in Jeonbuk to provide sickness benefits starting next month to secure workers' health rights that allow them to rest when sick.

Sickness benefits provide workers with minimum income support to focus on treatment when economic activity is difficult due to injuries or illnesses unrelated to work. The nationwide implementation plan for the system is set for July 2025. This year, there are two pilot areas: Yongin City in Gyeonggi Province and Iksan City in Jeonbuk.

Before the nationwide rollout, the city was selected as the first pilot site in Jeonbuk for the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s second phase sickness benefit pilot project, allowing it to receive benefits two years ahead of other local governments. The benefit amount will be 46,180 KRW per day from the 3rd of next month, which is 60% of this year’s minimum wage, and support up to about 4 million KRW for a maximum of 90 days.

Pilot Project Poster for Sick Leave Allowance. [Photo by Iksan City]

In particular, Iksan is expected to see significant effects from the sickness benefit pilot as it has the largest number of manufacturing companies with 10 or more employees (411 companies, 22.7%) and workers (18,864 people, 22.3%) in Jeonbuk.

The support targets are employed persons aged 15 to 65 who reside in Iksan City or work at workplaces located in the city, and whose income is in the lower 50%. This includes health insurance workplace subscribers, employment and industrial accident insurance subscribers, special employment workers, and self-employed individuals. They can apply for sickness benefits when economic activity is difficult due to illness or injury.

When applying for sickness benefits at the National Health Insurance Service Iksan Branch, benefits are paid after review for hospitalization and related outpatient days. Applications can be made within 60 days from the discharge date via the website, direct visit, or mail.

Meanwhile, the first meeting of the Sickness Benefit Phase 2 Pilot Project Regional Council (Chairman Jeong Sang-yong) was held on the 20th at the National Health Insurance Service Iksan Branch. The Ministry of Health and Welfare’s sickness benefit promotion team also attended, and they resolved to work together to promote the pilot project and foster a social atmosphere where the “right to rest when sick” can be enjoyed.

Jeong Sang-yong, head of the National Health Insurance Service Iksan Branch, said, "We will actively promote so that workers can receive benefits without omission even when they are hospitalized at local medical institutions or outside medical institutions due to illnesses or injuries unrelated to work."

Mayor Jeong Heon-yul said, "Our city is the largest industrial city in Jeonbuk, and many workers will be able to secure the right to rest when sick through this sickness benefit." He added, "As the first pilot project selected in Jeonbuk, we will actively support close cooperation with many related organizations so that many citizens can benefit."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.