
Korean Pension Account Early Withdrawal Tax: 16.5% vs 5.5%
Cashing out a yeongeum-jeochuk or IRP account triggers a flat 16.5% other-income tax on deducted principal plus gains. For higher earners that means paying back more than they ever received.

Cashing out a yeongeum-jeochuk or IRP account triggers a flat 16.5% other-income tax on deducted principal plus gains. For higher earners that means paying back more than they ever received.

A bond ETF with a duration of 17 years loses roughly 17% when rates rise 1%p. Korea's 30-year government bond yield rose 1.459%p this year — and the ETFs tracking it fell 25.39% on average. Here is the arithmetic behind that.

Korea taxes overseas stock gains above 2.5 million won at 22%. Because the base is won-converted at settlement-date rates, an account down 5% in dollars can still owe 1.9 million won.

Korean brokerages charge no commission on OTC bonds but 0.1-0.3% on exchange-traded ones. Converting that fee into an annual yield gap shows where the two routes break even.

Claiming Korea's national pension early cuts 6% per year, leaving 70% if you claim five years ahead. Running the numbers on a 1 million won monthly benefit puts the break-even at 76 years and 8 months; deferral flips at nearly 84.

The "8.1% annual average" attached to the 20-year bond's 161.8% maturity return is that total divided by 20. The real compound rate is 4.93%, and 4.41% after tax. Coupon and spread, back-calculated by maturity.

A "90% FX discount" in Korea cuts the bank's spread, not the exchange rate. Using a 1,400 KRW base rate and a 1.75% cash spread, here is what each discount tier actually leaves you paying on $1,000.

A bonus issue ex-rights reference price equals the prior close divided by (1 + bonus ratio). At 1:8 the quoted price drops to one ninth, but share count rises ninefold, so account value is unchanged.

A Korean ISA taxes only the net gain after summing every gain and loss inside the account — 2 million won tax-free, 9.9% above that. Run the same trades through a regular brokerage account and the losses vanish from the calculation.

The tax on a yen gain depends on the wrapper. FX deposit currency gains are untaxed, but a Korea-listed yen ETF's trading profit is dividend income withheld at 15.4% and counted toward the aggregate financial income threshold.