Youth Tomorrow Savings Fund (청년내일채움공제) in Korea for Foreign Residents

The Youth Tomorrow Savings Fund (청년내일채움공제) is a government savings-match program for young workers newly hired at small and medium enterprises (중소기업). In recent program rounds, the structure has been roughly: you save about ₩2M over two years, and the employer and government add about ₩10M on top, for a combined total of about ₩12M. Among foreign residents, only F-2, F-5, and F-6 visa holders qualify. E-series and H-series workers are excluded.

This guide explains who can apply, what the program involves, and how to enroll. Because the program has paused and relaunched before and its exact terms change between rounds, the guide is deliberately conservative on specific figures. Always confirm the current status and match formula on work.go.kr before relying on any number here.

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Who qualifies as a foreign resident

The program is not open to all foreign workers. Eligibility is tied to your visa type and to mandatory employment insurance (고용보험) enrollment.

Eligible visa types:

• F-2 (Residence / 거주비자)
• F-5 (Permanent Residence / 영주비자)
• F-6 (Marriage Migrant / 결혼이민)

Holders of these visas are enrolled in employment insurance on the same mandatory basis as Korean nationals. That mandatory enrollment is the gateway into the program.

Not eligible:

• E-series visas (E-2, E-3, E-4, E-6, E-7, E-9, etc.)
• H-series visas (H-1, H-2)
• D-series and any other category not listed above

This is not a gray area. The exclusion is written into the program rules. If you hold an E-7 or E-9 visa and read about this program online, the benefit does not apply to you, regardless of how long you have been employed or how large your employer is.

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Other conditions you need to check yourself

Your visa type is only one condition. You also need to verify:

Age. You must be between 15 and 34 at the time of enrollment. The checker used in the Seoulstart Benefits tool cannot confirm your age, so this is something you must verify yourself.

Employer size and type. Your employer must be a registered small or medium enterprise (중소기업) that has signed up on the work.go.kr/youngtomorrow portal. Large companies, public institutions, and unregistered employers do not qualify. Ask your HR department whether the company is a registered participating SME on the portal.

Recency of hire. The program targets newly hired workers. There is a sign-up window measured from your employment start date. The exact length of that window varies by program round, but it is typically a few months. If you are reading this guide as a new hire, check the current window immediately at work.go.kr/youngtomorrow. Missing the window means losing access for that employment period.

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How much you could receive

In recent rounds, the structure has been roughly:

• Worker saves: about ₩2M over 2 years (roughly ₩84,000 per month)
• Employer contributes: about ₩2M
• Government contributes: about ₩8M
• Total at maturity: about ₩12M

On the worker's own ₩2M, that works out to an effective return of around 500%.

These figures are drawn from program documentation at the time of writing. They are not guaranteed to reflect the current round. The government has changed the contribution formula between cycles, and the program has been suspended entirely in some years.

Before enrolling, confirm the exact contribution amounts and matching structure for the current round on work.go.kr/youngtomorrow or by calling the Ministry of Employment and Labor helpline at 1350. Do not commit to two years of contributions based on figures in any guide, including this one, without checking the current terms.

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The program's on-and-off history

The Youth Tomorrow Savings Fund has existed in several versions since it was introduced as a youth employment initiative. Previous versions ran as "2-year" and "3-year" programs with different contribution splits. The program was paused during some years and then relaunched with a revised formula.

This matters for two reasons:

1. If you search online, you will find guides and forum posts with different numbers. Not all of them are current. Some describe a round that has already closed.
2. The program may not be accepting new applications at the time you read this. Check the portal before you invest time in the application process.

The work.go.kr/youngtomorrow portal is the only source to trust for the current status and current terms.

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How to enroll

If you have confirmed that: the program is currently accepting applications, you hold an F-2, F-5, or F-6 visa, you are aged 15-34, your employer is a registered participating SME, and you are within the sign-up window, here is how to proceed.

1. Go to work.go.kr/youngtomorrow and create an account using your alien registration number (외국인등록번호).
2. Start an enrollment application and fill in your employment details.
3. Notify your HR department. Your employer must also complete their part of the enrollment on the same portal. The application is not complete until both sides have submitted.
4. Keep a record of your enrollment confirmation. You will need it if there are any questions later about your participation.

The monthly contribution is deducted from your salary automatically once enrollment is confirmed. The payout is released as a lump sum after you complete the full contribution period (typically two years), provided you remain at the same employer throughout.

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If you leave the job before the period ends

Leaving your employer before the end of the required period generally means you receive only your own saved contributions, not the employer or government match. Early withdrawal is treated as a partial or full forfeiture of the matching funds, depending on the specific terms of the current round.

Before you resign, check the current terms at work.go.kr/youngtomorrow or call 1350. If you are close to the end of the period, it may be worth staying to receive the full payout.

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Where to get more information

The authoritative source for this program is the Ministry of Employment and Labor via its youth employment portal.

• Program portal: work.go.kr/youngtomorrow (enrollment, status, current terms)
• Government 24 program detail: gov.kr/portal/rcvfvrSvc/dtlEx/SD0000011848
• Multilingual helpline: 1350 (English, Vietnamese, Chinese, Filipino, Russian, and other languages; hours vary by language)

If you are uncertain whether you qualify, call 1350 before starting an application. The helpline advisors can confirm the current program status and walk through eligibility based on your specific visa and employment situation.

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What to do next

1. Check work.go.kr/youngtomorrow today to confirm the program is currently accepting applications.
2. Confirm your employer is a registered participating SME on the same portal.
3. If you joined your employer recently, check the sign-up window immediately. Waiting can cost you the entire benefit.
4. If the program is open and you meet the conditions, start your enrollment application and loop in HR to complete the employer side.
5. If you are unsure about any condition, call 1350 for a free multilingual consultation before proceeding.

For a full picture of government benefits available to foreign residents in Korea, see the Seoulstart Benefits Checker.

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What's changed

• 2026-05-28: Guide first published covering eligibility, the on-and-off history of the program, the rough contribution structure (with accuracy caveats), and enrollment steps for F-2, F-5, and F-6 holders.

@misc{seoulstart-korea-youth-tomorrow-savings-guide,
  author = {{Seoulstart Editorial Team}},
  title = {{Youth Tomorrow Savings Fund (청년내일채움공제) in Korea for Foreign Residents (2026)}},
  year = {2026},
  publisher = {Seoulstart},
  url = {https://seoulstart.com/guides/korea-youth-tomorrow-savings-guide},
  note = {Last updated May 28, 2026}
}