'Posthumous Promotion Benefits Realized': Survivor Benefits to Increase Starting This Month

Procedures for Special Posthumous Promotions and Survivor Benefit Amounts Finalized
Cabinet Approves Amendments to the Enforcement Decree of the Public Officials’ Accident Compensation Act

Going forward, when a public official dies or is killed in the line of duty and is posthumously promoted (chuseo), the bereaved family will receive survivor benefits based on the increased salary corresponding to the promoted rank. In addition, to ensure fairness in the review of posthumous promotions for public officials who died in the line of duty, a Special Merit Review Committee, including external experts, will be established at each institution.

On July 1, the Ministry of Personnel Management announced that amendments to the Enforcement Decree of the Public Officials’ Accident Compensation Act, the Enforcement Decree of the Public Officials’ Pension Act, the Public Officials’ Appointment Decree, and the Regulations on Appointment of Research and Guidance Public Officials had been approved by the Cabinet. These amendments are follow-up measures to the revision of the Public Officials’ Accident Compensation Act and the Public Officials’ Pension Act in January, which increased survivor benefits for public officials who were posthumously promoted. The amendments will take effect from July 8.

First, if a public official who died in the line of duty is posthumously promoted, survivor benefits such as the line-of-duty survivor pension and retirement allowance paid to the bereaved family will be calculated based on the promoted rank.

Previously, even if a deceased public official was posthumously promoted, it was considered an honorary measure to recognize their service, and survivor benefits were paid according to the rank held before the promotion.

However, from now on, under the Public Officials’ Accident Compensation Act and the Public Officials’ Pension Act, seven types of survivor benefits?including the hazardous duty survivor pension, line-of-duty survivor pension, condolence payment, and lump-sum retirement survivor payment?will reflect the increased salary resulting from the posthumous promotion in the calculation of benefits.

A Special Merit Review Committee will also be established to ensure fair reviews of posthumous promotions. Previously, the head of each institution had the discretion to decide on posthumous promotions as a way to honor the deceased official’s service. From now on, the review will be conducted by a Special Merit Review Committee that includes external members to ensure fairness and objectivity.

Additionally, the amendments include improvements to the way the public officials’ pension is administered and the relaxation of special criteria for families with multiple children. The option to claim benefits by phone, which was previously available only to public officials with less than four years of service, will be expanded to disabled beneficiaries who face significant physical or mobility challenges. Furthermore, the special provision for student loan repayment, which previously applied to families with three or more children, will now be extended to those with two or more children.

Yeon Wonjeong, Commissioner of the Ministry of Personnel Management, stated, "With these amendments, we hope to further honor the public officials and their families who have devoted themselves to the nation," adding, "We will create a public service society where special sacrifices are met with special rewards."

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