South Korea is reviewing National Pension and Basic Pension eligibility after President Lee Jae Myung highlighted cases involving foreigners and people who acquired Korean nationality later in life. The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the National Pension Service are examining limits on retroactive contributions, including lower caps than the current 119 months, minimum regular-payment periods, residency-based rules and possible reciprocity requirements. Lee also called for a minimum domestic-residence period before certain benefits are paid and a review of fairness loopholes across social security systems and government-funded projects. A government review found three foreign nationals had sought lifetime pension benefits after one month of regular contributions and 119 months of retroactive payments, and all had lived in Korea during the covered periods. Separately, Lee cited a case pattern involving about one month of enrollment and 11 months of post-payments, underscoring a discrepancy between the presidential example and the broader reviewed cases. New requirements now call for immigration records proving actual residence, with a month counted only when the applicant lived in Korea for at least 15 days. Foreign-national applications rose from 530 in 2023 to 1,517 in 2025, while 994 were filed in the first half of this year. Authorities also plan tighter overseas-beneficiary checks, expanded death-record exchanges and legislative revisions, alongside police personnel and system reforms ahead of two new investigative bodies.