'Free for Residents'... Check Local Government Insurance

Various Coverage Including Citizen Safety, Bicycle, and Military Service Injury Insurance
Also Compensates for School Zones, Dog Bites, and Agricultural Machinery Accidents

There is insurance that is ‘free for residents.’ These are insurance products operated by local governments for the safety of their citizens. Residents of the respective local governments can reduce the financial burden from injuries or accidents even if they have not separately subscribed to accident insurance.

Local governments provide various free insurance services such as citizen safety insurance and bicycle insurance for residents who suffer unexpected accidents or injuries. [Source=Asia Economy DB]

Currently, basic local governments in the Seoul metropolitan area operate their own ▲Citizen Safety Insurance ▲Bicycle Insurance ▲Military Service Injury Insurance, among others.

The characteristic of these insurances is that anyone residing with an address in the local government can receive benefits without a separate subscription process. This is because the local governments have insured ‘citizens’ as policyholders. ‘Registered foreigners’ are also included.

The maximum coverage amount varies depending on the local government and insurance product, but generally ranges from 10 million to 20 million KRW. Coverage applies as long as the insured has an address in the local government at the time of the accident. Coverage applies even if the accident occurs outside the area. Insurance claims can be made even if the insured has moved to another local government after the accident. However, claims must be filed within three years from the date of the incident.

In particular, many of these insurances allow overlapping coverage with personally subscribed insurance. Whether you have subscribed to related insurance or the scope of coverage can be checked on each local government’s website or through the respective insurance company.

◆Citizen Safety Insurance = This is insurance provided free of charge by local governments to prepare for various accidents that may occur in daily life. It pays insurance benefits in cases of injury or death caused by general accidents, accidents during public transportation use, natural disasters, school zone accidents, and more. Recently, coverage scopes are being tailored to local government characteristics, such as dog bite accidents and agricultural machinery accidents.

◆Bicycle Insurance = This insurance has attracted attention as the number of bicycle users has rapidly increased. Coverage is provided regardless of the accident location as long as the insured is a resident of the local government. Some local governments also cover personal mobility device (PM) accidents, such as electric kickboards, as well as bicycles. Insurance benefits are paid not only for accidents while riding a bicycle but also if injured while riding as a passenger or hit by a bicycle driven by someone else.

◆Military Service Injury Insurance = This insurance covers young people who suffer injuries or illnesses during military service. Coverage applies to accidents occurring from enlistment to discharge. It can reimburse part of hospitalization and surgery costs. While many local governments in the metropolitan area operate this insurance, it has been found that none of the Seoul city districts have subscribed to it.

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