Injured at Work in Korea? — How to File Industrial Accident Insurance (산재) 2026

Injured at Work? Read This Before You Do Anything Else

Workplace injuries happen. In Korean factories, construction sites, and farms, foreign workers face higher injury rates than Korean workers — language barriers, unfamiliar equipment, and pressure to work fast all contribute. What you do in the first days shapes how easy the claim is — the hospital record made at the time is the strongest evidence you will ever have. (If it has already been weeks or months, read on anyway: the deadline is measured in years, not days.)

This guide is structured as an FAQ because every injured worker's situation is slightly different. Find your question, get your answer, take action.

Emergency: What Do I Do Right Now?

"I just got hurt. What's the first step?"
Go to the hospital. Immediately. Don't "wait and see." Tell them it's a workplace injury — say "산재" (sanjae). This word determines whether the bill goes to Industrial Accident Insurance, which covers approved treatment with no copay from you, or to your personal health insurance, where you pay a share — around 30% at a local clinic and more at a large hospital. If it's serious, call 119 — the ambulance is free.

"Do I need my employer's permission to go to the hospital?"
No. Absolutely not. You have the right to seek treatment at any hospital, any time. Some employers tell workers to wait or go to a specific clinic — ignore that. Your health comes first.

"I can't speak Korean at the hospital. What do I do?"
Call 1345 (Foreign Resident Helpline) for phone interpretation. Or show hospital staff this on your phone: "산재입니다. 직장에서 다쳤습니다." (This is a work injury. I was injured at work.)

Reporting and Filing

"Who reports the injury?"
Two different things get mixed up here. If the injury keeps you off work for three days or more, your employer has to submit an accident report to the labour office within one month — that is their duty, and it is not your claim. Your claim is a separate filing, and you make it yourself with COMWEL. You do not need your employer's signature; if they refuse to confirm anything, COMWEL investigates and decides without them. Call COMWEL at 1588-0075 or visit your nearest branch.

"My employer says they'll pay my hospital bills privately. Should I accept?"
No. This is the most common trap. Private payments stop whenever your employer decides. With official 산재, you're covered for as long as treatment is medically necessary — even years. Private deals also leave zero paper trail if the injury worsens later.

"My employer says filing 산재 will get me deported."
That's a lie. Filing a workplace injury claim has nothing to do with your visa. Immigration and workers' compensation are completely separate systems. This threat is illegal — report it to the Labor Office.

"My employer refuses to report it. Now what?"
File it yourself directly with COMWEL. The Foreign Worker Consultation Center (1644-0644) can help you through the process.

"My company never enrolled me in industrial accident insurance. Am I covered?"
Yes. This is the single most common reason injured workers give up before they start, so it is worth being exact about it. Industrial accident insurance attaches to the workplace, not to a registration your employer filed for you. If the business should have been covered and was not, the coverage still exists — your claim is assessed the same way, and you are paid the same way.

What changes is on the employer's side, not yours: COMWEL can recover part of what it pays out from the company, and there are penalties for not having reported. That is their exposure. It is not a hole in your protection, and it is not a reason for you to pay your own hospital bills.

So if anyone — the company, a supervisor, a coworker passing on what they were told — says "we don't have 산재 here, so there's nothing to claim", that sentence is wrong. File anyway.

"What do I actually need to bring?"
The core of a claim is short:

• The COMWEL application form for medical care benefit — plus the lost-wage benefit if you are off work. Available at any branch or on their site
• A first medical report from the hospital that treated you — this is the document that carries the most weight, so ask for it while you are still there
• Your own written account of what happened, in whatever language you write best
• Photos of the injury and the accident site, and the names of anyone who saw it
• Your ARC and bank account details

Your employer's confirmation is asked for on the form, but it is not a gate. If they will not sign, say so and file anyway.

What 산재 Covers — More Than You Think

• Your medical costs for approved treatment — Hospital, surgery, medication, rehabilitation, physical therapy, for as long as treatment is medically necessary. None of the copay you'd normally pay under health insurance. A small number of items sit outside the covered list, so ask the hospital to confirm anything unusual before it's carried out.
• 70% of your daily wage while you can't work (from day 4 — first 3 days are your employer's responsibility)
• Disability compensation if the injury causes permanent effects
• Vocational rehabilitation if you can't return to your previous job
• Death benefits for fatal accidents — family receives compensation regardless of whether they're in Korea

All of this is paid through the industrial accident insurance system, funded by employer premiums. Nothing comes from your pocket — and note that this holds even if your particular employer never got around to enrolling, because the coverage attaches to the workplace rather than to their paperwork.

Situations You Might Be In

"I'm undocumented. Can I still file?"
Yes — the compensation right itself is settled. 산재 covers anyone who was working in Korea, and your visa status does not take that away. Korean courts have confirmed it repeatedly, so an employer who tells you otherwise is simply wrong.

What we won't do is hand you a guarantee about immigration that isn't ours to give. So do it in this order: before you file, call the Foreign Worker Consultation Center on 1644-0644 or a migrant support organisation, and describe your situation honestly. They deal with exactly these cases, they know how it is being handled right now, and the call costs you nothing. Then file, with someone who knows the process standing beside you. The right is real. Just don't walk in alone.

"It happened during overtime / at a company dinner."
산재 isn't limited to official work hours. Overtime injuries, injuries during company-required events, and some commuting accidents all qualify.

"It's been weeks since the accident."
You have up to 3 years to file. Sooner is always better — evidence is fresher. But if you missed the initial window, it's not too late.

"Can my employer fire me for filing?"
No. Korean law prohibits dismissal during the period you are off work for approved 산재 treatment, and for 30 days after that period ends. Unlike several other protections, this one applies at a workplace of any size. If they threaten you, that's illegal retaliation.

Save These Numbers Now

Put these in your phone before you need them:

• 119 — Emergency / Ambulance
• 1588-0075 — COMWEL (Workers' Compensation)
• 1350 — Labor Rights Helpline
• 1345 — Foreign Resident Helpline (multilingual)
• 1644-0644 — Foreign Worker Consultation Center
• 1577-0071 — EPS Foreign Workforce Counseling Center (18 languages)

The industrial accident system exists for exactly this situation. Your employer has been paying insurance premiums for it. Using it isn't "causing trouble" — it's using a right you're entitled to. Would you skip health insurance when you're sick? Then don't skip 산재 when you're hurt at work.

If you're worried about what happens after recovery — whether you can keep working, change jobs, or what happens to your contract — we cover that too. And understanding your visa type helps you know exactly what protections apply to your specific situation.