Fraud rules

What you report

If you work during a check-in period, report it to the employment center (Employment Insurance Act Article 47, paragraph 1).

The handbook says to report even a single day of work on your next check-in day, whether or not you were paid. What counts is the day you worked (2026 handbook).

The handbook also lists starting a business and receiving industrial accident leave benefits as things to report (2026 handbook).

False or improper means

The law treats receiving, or trying to receive, benefits by false or other improper means as fraud (Article 61, paragraph 1).

Enforcement Decree Article 80 gives these examples: not reporting work or reporting it falsely, and reporting job search activity falsely.

The handbook and training material give these examples of fake or token job searching: only calling and then writing your own interview confirmation, applying to the same company twice, applying where there is no hiring plan, getting a confirmation or a business card only from relatives, and skipping an interview or refusing a job.

Benefit suspension

If there is fraud, benefits are not paid from the day you received or tried to receive them (Article 61, paragraph 1).

For cases such as not reporting work or reporting falsely, benefits are withheld only for that check-in period. A second violation brings paragraph 1 into effect (Article 61, paragraph 2 and Decree Article 80).

If you have been suspended 3 or more times in 10 years, benefits under a new eligibility can be withheld for up to 3 years (Article 61, paragraph 5). The period is 1 year for 3 times, 2 years for 4 times and 3 years for 5 or more (Decree Article 80-2).

Repayment and extra charges

The center can order you to repay all or part of benefits received by false or improper means (Article 62, paragraph 1).

It can also charge up to 2 times the amount received. If you acted together with the employer, the limit is 5 times (Article 62, paragraph 2).

Enforcement Rule Article 105 (amended on July 1, 2026) sets the rate by how many times you were suspended. Without the employer, it is 100 percent for fewer than 3 times, 150 percent for 3 to 4 times and 200 percent for 5 or more. With the employer it is 300, 400 and 500 percent.

The same article lets the center waive the extra charge for someone who reports before an investigation (paragraph 4 item 1). It reduces the extra charge to 60 percent if you cooperate fully and promise in writing to pay at once (paragraph 3 item 3).

The handbook says up to 5 times. In the law, 5 times is the upper limit when the employer was involved.

Criminal penalties

Receiving benefits by false or other improper means is punishable by up to 3 years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won (Article 116, paragraph 2, item 2).

If you received them together with an employer, both you and the employer face up to 5 years in prison or a fine of up to 50 million won (Article 116, paragraph 1).

Reporting on your own

The handbook says that not reporting even one day of work can make the whole check-in period's benefit repayable, and that reporting on your own lets you repay only that one day, once. I could not confirm this one day rule in the law text. Confirm it by calling 1350.