Claims for workers' compensation by teachers who have been injured or fallen ill while performing their duties have significantly increased, but the administrative processing time remains lengthy.
On October 6, data submitted by Democratic Party lawmaker Han Byeong-do from the Ministry of Personnel Management and the Government Employees Pension Service revealed that claims for occupational injuries among education officials rose from 1,002 in 2022 to 1,503 in 2025, marking a 50% increase over three years.
During the same period, the number of denied claims surged from 128 to 295, a 2.3-fold increase.
The proportion of claims related to mental health issues has also grown. Among claims for occupational injuries due to illness, the share attributed to mental disorders increased from 70.2% in 2022 to 82.8% last year, accounting for four out of five claims made by teachers.
Even after successfully obtaining recognition for their claims, teachers face long waits to be reimbursed for medical expenses they initially paid out of pocket. Currently, teachers pay for non-covered medical expenses upfront and then submit claims to the Government Employees Pension Service for reimbursement.
According to Han, from 2022 to July of this year, there were 4,837 claims for non-covered medical expenses, with 592 cases taking more than 30 days for a payment decision and seven cases exceeding one year.
There is also significant regional variation in approval rates for occupational injury claims.
In 2025, the approval rates by region were as low as 70% in Jeollanam-do, 70.6% in Gyeongsangnam-do, and 70.8% in Gangwon-do. In contrast, Sejong and Jeju had approval rates of 100% and 95%, respectively, showing a difference of up to 30 percentage points.
Han stated, "Having to wait over 100 days to receive reimbursement for a few thousand won in medical expenses is a second blow to already suffering teachers." He urged the Ministry of Education and local education offices to improve administrative procedures to prevent unnecessary delays, such as redundant payment verifications, and to establish effective support measures for teachers.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.