- Incheon residents and registered aliens all covered in case of disaster, no application or subscription required -
- Insurance covers 12 categories: explosion, fire, collapse, bus/taxi/subway accidents, etc. -
- Up to KRW 10 million in death benefits, KRW 15 million in long-term accident/disaster disability benefits -

Incheon Metropolitan City (Mayor: Yoo Jeong-bok) announced its renewed annual Citizen Safety Insurance to protect the well-being and livelihood of Incheon citizens against damages, bodily injury, or death caused by disasters and accidents. Each year, Incheon subscribes to a Citizen Safety Insurance and pays all premiums. The insurance policy covers long-term disabilities or deaths caused by natural disasters, explosion/fire/collapse accidents, accidents while using public transportation, traffic accidents in school zones, etc.

Citizens and legal aliens registered in Incheon are automatically subscribed to the insurance without having to apply for it themselves. However, in the event of an accident or disaster, the victim or bereaved family members must apply for benefits from the insurance company themselves.

Starting this year, Incheon’s Citizen Safety Insurance covers deaths caused by non-natural disasters in addition to previously covered items such as death from natural disasters, explosion/fire/collapse accidents, accidents while using public transportation, robbery injuries, accidents while using chartered buses (accidents since 2021 covered) as well as medical expenses stemming from traffic accidents in school zones, and treatment costs for visiting the emergency room to treat canine attacks (accidents since 2022 covered). More specifically, from 2023, if three or more deaths occur in a single accident, such as a crushing accident in a heavily overcrowded area or venue, each victim shall be entitled to a death benefit under the Citizen Safety Insurance.

Insurance offers up to KRW 10 million for death, up to KRW 15 million for long-term disabilities, KRW 13 million for death from a natural disaster, and KRW 200,000 in emergency room medical expenses to treat canine biting accidents.

However, some accidents or disaster incidents, such as bodily injuries sustained from falling over while walking, falling accidents at home, electric kickboard accidents, bicycle accidents, injuries sustained inside a public facility, traffic accidents while driving a car, various diseases, etc., claimed by online communities or social networking services (SNS) to be covered under Incheon’s Citizen Safety Insurance may, in fact, not be covered.
In case of an electric kickboard accident or an accident inside a public facility, citizens should check whether the vendor or the facility administrator has liability insurance, and if the accident is covered by the insurance. As for bicycle accidents, please contact the Construction Department or Road Department at a Gun or Gu Office of your residence, and ask if they have bicycle insurance for local residents.

Yang Gyeong-mo, Head of the Safety Situation Room at Incheon, said, “Incheon’s Citizen Safety Insurance protects the well-being and livelihood of local citizens with a safety net for those who suffer from a disaster or accident.” Yang added, “We will do our best to share information about the insurance to make sure everyone in Incheon understands what Citizen Safety Insurance is and how they can use it.”

Incheon Citizen Safety Insurance - Overview (2023)

< Changes from the previous year >

▸ 2023 insurance covers new risk type - Heavy crowd accident(death from crushing accident) (Guaranteed categories: 11→12)

▸ Higher death benefits in the event of a natural disaster (KRW 10 million→ KRW 13 million)

▸ Medical expenses (emergency room) in the event of a canine attack (biting accident) (KRW 300,000→KRW 200,000)

* Subject to change within budget

❍ Policyholder: Incheon Metropolitan City Government

❍ Beneficiary: All citizens registered as residents in Incheon (including registered aliens)

※ All citizens are automatically subscribed to the insurance upon registering their residence in Incheon, and removed from the insurance upon terminating their residence in Incheon

❍ Insurance period: January 1, 2023 ~ December 31, 2023 (Policy renewed annually)

❍ Budget: Up to KRW 440 million (City budget)

❍ Insurer: Korea Local Finance Association

❍ Covered categories and benefits: 12 categories

Covered categories		No. of insured persons	Benefits    (KRW ‘0,000)	Remarks
Explosion, fire, collapse, landslide	Death	2,684,131	1,000	Excluding children under the age of 15
	Long-term disability	3,038,528	1,500	All ages
Accident while using public transportation	Death	2,684,131	1,000	Excluding children under the age of 15
	Long-term disability	3,038,528	1,500	All ages
Accident while using a chartered bus	Death	2,684,131	1,000	Excluding children under the age of 15
	Long-term disability	3,038,528	1,500	All ages
Robbery	Death	2,684,131	1,000	Excluding children under the age of 15
	Long-term disability	3,038,528	1,500	All ages
Medical expenses for school zone traffic accident		299,676	1,500	Applies to children under the age of 12 only
Death by natural disaster     (Including sunstroke, heatstroke, hypothermia)		2,684,131	1,300	Excluding children under the age of 15
Death by non-natural disaster (new coverage in   2023)     (Including accidents occurring in/by large crowds,   etc.)		2,684,131	1,000	Excluding children under the age of 15
Emergency room medical expenses for canine attack (biting)		3,038,528	20	All ages

※ Right to claim insurance benefits remains valid for three years (Article 662 of the Commercial Act), persons under the age of 15 cannot be insured for death insurance (Article 732 of the Commercial Act)
※ (Source) No. of insured persons: Based on resident registration statistics from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, alien statistics from the Ministry of Justice

❍ Insurance claims: Korea Local Finance Association (☎1577-5939)