Average Nationwide War Veteran Allowance 236,000 KRW... 29% Increase After Guideline Announcement

Dangjin in South Chungcheong Marks Largest Increase
with 250,000 KRW Raise in Combatant Allowance

The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs announced on the 17th that as of January this year, the average combatant allowance across 243 local governments nationwide was 236,000 KRW. This figure represents an approximately 29% (53,000 KRW) increase compared to the 183,000 KRW guideline announced and recommended by the Ministry in October 2023 for basic local governments.

The combatant allowance refers to the stipend paid to war veterans by local governments across the country. Currently, the government provides a monthly combat honor allowance of 450,000 KRW (by 2025) to veterans of the Korean War and the Vietnam War aged 65 and older, and in addition, each local government also pays combatant allowances separately.

The Ministry previously established guidelines to standardize and raise the varying combatant allowances among local governments. This was intended to gradually increase the allowances in stages, starting with basic and then metropolitan local governments, considering their financial conditions. In 2024, the Ministry recommended that basic local governments paying less than 80,000 KRW increase their payments to at least 80,000 KRW.

Accordingly, as of January, the average combatant allowance paid by local governments nationwide (combined amount paid by metropolitan and basic local governments) was recorded at 236,000 KRW. Among basic local governments, Dangjin-si, Asan-si, Seosan-si in Chungcheongnam-do, and Hwacheon-gun in Gangwon-do pay the highest combatant allowance of 500,000 KRW nationwide. Among these, Dangjin-si recorded the largest increase, raising the allowance by 250,000 KRW compared to October 2023.

Furthermore, the minimum and maximum payments by basic local governments were identified as 30,000 KRW and 500,000 KRW respectively, while the combined combatant allowance from basic and metropolitan local governments ranges from a minimum of 120,000 KRW to a maximum of 600,000 KRW.

By metropolitan local government average, Chungcheongnam-do pays the highest combatant allowance at 440,000 KRW, followed by Gangwon-do (315,000 KRW), Gyeongsangnam-do (271,000 KRW), Seoul (266,000 KRW), and Chungbuk (254,000 KRW).

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs selected 20 basic local governments that actively participated in implementing the combatant allowance guidelines as ‘Outstanding Institutions for Veteran Honor’ and awarded and encouraged them. These outstanding institutions include 16 local governments such as Gimpo-si in Gyeonggi-do, which achieved the first stage of the Ministry’s guideline (raising from below 80,000 KRW to above 80,000 KRW), and four basic local governments paying the highest amount (500,000 KRW): Dangjin-si, Asan-si, Seosan-si in Chungcheongnam-do, and Hwacheon-gun in Gangwon-do, totaling 20 local governments.

In particular, Minister Kang Jeong-ae of the Ministry plans to visit Dangjin-si in Chungcheongnam-do on the 18th and Gimpo-si in Gyeonggi-do on the 26th to hold plaque ceremonies for the Outstanding Institutions for Veteran Honor and award commendations to public officials who worked on ordinance revisions and budget securing to increase the combatant allowance.

Minister Kang stated, “I sincerely thank many local governments for their active efforts to establish or increase combatant allowances following the guideline recommendation, and I look forward to continued interest and participation. Especially, I hope that the exemplary cases of these outstanding institutions for veteran honor will spread nationwide, realizing ‘Everyone’s Patriots and Veterans Affairs,’ where the central government and local governments together respect and honor the dedication to the nation. The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs will strive to play a pivotal role in this.”