Planting the 'Pureun Seed' for Retirement... Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service Partners with Hyundai Bluehands

Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service Signs "Pureun Seed" Agreement with Bluehands Franchise Association
Securing Retirement Income for 1,200 Franchises and 13,000 Workers Nationwide

The Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service (Chairman Park Jonggil) has partnered with Hyundai Bluehands, an official Hyundai Motor maintenance network, to jointly promote the "Pureun Seed" program aimed at ensuring workers' retirement security.

On September 25, the Service signed a business agreement at its Seoul Southern Office with the Bluehands Franchise Association (National Hyundai Motor Bluehands Maintenance Franchise Association and Hyundai Maintenance Franchise Cooperative Association) to expand participation in "Pureun Seed," a retirement pension fund system for small and medium-sized enterprises.

Under this agreement, the Service will provide Bluehands franchise owners and workers who join Pureun Seed with financial support, full exemption from management fees, and discounts on health checkups at Service-affiliated hospitals. Bluehands will actively promote and educate about Pureun Seed and cooperate in expanding franchise participation, aiming to reduce the retirement benefit burden on franchise owners and help secure stable retirement income for workers.

Currently, there are 1,200 Bluehands franchise locations nationwide, employing about 13,000 workers. Most are small businesses with fewer than 30 employees, but due to low awareness of the Pureun Seed system, only 23 locations and 120 workers have enrolled so far.

The Service expects that this agreement will encourage more franchises to join Pureun Seed, providing practical support for workers to prepare for a stable retirement.

Launched in September 2022, Pureun Seed is Korea's only fund-type retirement pension system. In just three years, it has grown rapidly, reaching 30,000 participating businesses, 137,000 workers, and 1.2 trillion won in accumulated funds. It has drawn attention for its high returns, recording 6.97% in 2023, 6.52% in 2024, and 8.94% as of September 1, 2025, with a cumulative return of 21.43%.

Key benefits of Pureun Seed include a 10% contribution subsidy for both employers and workers earning less than 2.73 million won per month, full exemption from management fees, and a simplified enrollment process that reduces employers' administrative burden.

The government is gradually making retirement pension enrollment mandatory according to its five-year national administration plan and plans to continue expanding Pureun Seed eligibility to further secure retirement income for vulnerable groups.

Park Jonggil, Chairman of the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service, stated, "We hope this agreement will provide tangible benefits to both Bluehands franchise owners and workers, leading to wider adoption of retirement pensions. We will continue to promote Pureun Seed across various industries so that more workers can enjoy stable retirement security."

The Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service (Chairman Park Jonggil, fifth from the left) is taking a commemorative photo after signing a business agreement to expand membership of Hyundai Bluehands and Pureun Seed at the Seoul Southern Office of the Service on the 25th. (Fourth from the left, Vice Chairman Lee Kyuho of the Bluehands Maintenance Franchise Association, sixth from the left, Chairman Kim Junghyun of the Hyundai Maintenance Franchise Cooperative Association)

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