Gokseong County to Subsidize Employment and Industrial Accident Insurance Premiums for One-Person Self-Employed Business Owners

20% Subsidy for Employment Insurance,
30-50% Subsidy for Industrial Accident Insurance

Exterior view of Gokseong County Office.

Gokseong County in South Jeolla Province (County Governor Cho Sangrae) announced on April 21 that it will provide partial subsidies for employment and industrial accident insurance premiums to encourage local one-person self-employed business owners to enroll in these insurance programs.

Employment and industrial accident insurance are social security systems designed to provide compensation to workers in the event of unemployment or workplace accidents. While employees are required to enroll through their workplaces, self-employed individuals are not obligated to do so, resulting in relatively low enrollment rates and their exclusion from the social safety net.

Since 2021, the county has been actively encouraging enrollment by signing a business agreement with the Korea Workers’ Compensation and Welfare Service and providing subsidies for employment and industrial accident insurance premiums, aiming to incorporate local one-person self-employed business owners into the social safety net.

Applicants for the program can receive a subsidy of 20% of the paid employment insurance premium, and for industrial accident insurance, a subsidy of 30% to 50% depending on the insurance grade. The support will be provided through a reimbursement system after the premiums are paid in advance.

For employment insurance, since the central government separately provides support of 50% to 80%, business owners who apply for both the government and county subsidy programs can receive support for up to 70% to 100% of their insurance premiums depending on the grade.

Any one-person self-employed business owner in Gokseong County who is enrolled in employment or industrial accident insurance is eligible to apply, and applications can be submitted at the township or town office where the business is located or at the Small Business Hope Center.

Governor Cho Sangrae stated, "If self-employed business owners enroll in employment and industrial accident insurance, it can help them recover in the event of business closure or workplace accidents," and urged, "We hope that local small business owners will show active interest not only in enrolling in insurance but also in applying for the subsidy program."