{"id":723,"date":"2026-03-24T03:37:24","date_gmt":"2026-03-24T03:37:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/?p=723"},"modified":"2026-05-03T08:32:57","modified_gmt":"2026-05-03T08:32:57","slug":"comwel-subrogation-prior-payments-south-korea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/comwel-subrogation-prior-payments-south-korea\/","title":{"rendered":"South Korea: COMWEL Subrogation Prior Payments"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><!-- ATLAS_HREFLANG_START --><link rel=\"alternate\" hreflang=\"ko\" href=\"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/kr-blog\/%ec%82%b0%ec%9e%ac%eb%b3%b4%ed%97%98-%ea%b5%ac%ec%83%81%ea%b8%88-%ec%83%81%ed%98%b8%eb%b3%b4%ec%99%84%ec%a0%81%ea%b4%80%ea%b3%84\/\" \/><link rel=\"alternate\" hreflang=\"en\" href=\"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/comwel-subrogation-prior-payments-south-korea\/\" \/><link rel=\"alternate\" hreflang=\"x-default\" href=\"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/kr-blog\/%ec%82%b0%ec%9e%ac%eb%b3%b4%ed%97%98-%ea%b5%ac%ec%83%81%ea%b8%88-%ec%83%81%ed%98%b8%eb%b3%b4%ec%99%84%ec%a0%81%ea%b4%80%ea%b3%84\/\" \/><!-- ATLAS_HREFLANG_END --><br \/>\n<!-- ===== Schema Markup ===== --><\/p>\n<p><script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\", \"@type\": \"Article\", \"headline\": \"Can a Liability Insurer Deduct Prior Payments to the Victim from Workers' Compensation Subrogation Claims in South Korea? | Atlas Legal\", \"description\": \"When South Korea's Workers' Compensation & Welfare Service (COMWEL) pursues subrogation against a liability insurer, can the insurer deduct amounts already paid to the injured worker? A practical analysis of the Supreme Court's 12 February 2026 ruling (Case No. 2023Da274933).\", \"author\": {\"@type\": \"Person\", \"name\": \"Park Soyoung\", \"jobTitle\": \"Attorney-at-Law\", \"worksFor\": {\"@type\": \"LegalService\", \"name\": \"Atlas Legal\", \"url\": \"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\", \"address\": {\"@type\": \"PostalAddress\", \"addressLocality\": \"Incheon\", \"addressRegion\": \"Songdo\"}}}, \"publisher\": {\"@type\": \"Organization\", \"name\": \"Atlas Legal\", \"url\": \"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\", \"@id\": \"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/#legalservice\"}, \"datePublished\": \"2026-03-24\", \"dateModified\": \"2026-03-24\", \"mainEntityOfPage\": {\"@type\": \"WebPage\"}, \"@id\": \"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/comwel-subrogation-prior-payments-south-korea#article\"}<\/script><\/p>\n<p><script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\", \"@type\": \"FAQPage\", \"mainEntity\": [{\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"What is subrogation under South Korea's Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"Under Article 87(1) of South Korea's Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act (IACIA), when COMWEL (Korea Workers' Compensation & Welfare Service) pays benefits to an injured worker due to a third party's negligence, COMWEL acquires by subrogation the injured worker's damage claim against that third party, up to the amount of benefits paid. However, the scope of subrogation is limited to claims that are 'complementary' to the benefits paid \u2014 meaning benefits and damages must cover the same category of loss (Supreme Court, 12 Feb. 2026, Case No. 2023Da274933).\"}}, {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"Can a liability insurer in South Korea deduct prior payments made to the injured worker from the amount owed to COMWEL?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"It depends on what was paid. If the insurer paid amounts that are complementary to COMWEL's benefits (e.g., past medical expenses for the same treatment period and category), those payments cannot be deducted from COMWEL's subrogation claim \u2014 even if paid after COMWEL acquired subrogation rights. However, if the insurer paid amounts that are NOT complementary to COMWEL's benefits (e.g., future medical costs, emotional distress damages), those payments must be deducted from the liability insurance proceeds owed to COMWEL (Supreme Court, 12 Feb. 2026, Case No. 2023Da274933).\"}}, {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"What does 'complementary relationship' mean in South Korean workers' compensation subrogation law?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"A 'complementary relationship' (\uc0c1\ud638\ubcf4\uc644\uc801 \uad00\uacc4) exists when both the insurance benefit and the tort damages compensate for the same category of loss, such that paying one extinguishes the corresponding damages claim. For example, COMWEL's medical care benefits (\uc694\uc591\uae09\uc5ec) are complementary to past medical expense damages \u2014 both cover the same loss. By contrast, future medical costs and emotional distress (\u6170\u85c9\u6599) are NOT complementary to COMWEL's benefits, because those losses fall outside what workers' compensation covers (Supreme Court, 24 Sept. 2015, Case No. 2014Da233626).\"}}, {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"Does the 'complementary relationship' test also apply to National Health Insurance subrogation claims in South Korea?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"Yes. The same legal standard applies to subrogation claims by the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) under Article 58 of the National Health Insurance Act. The Supreme Court applied identical reasoning in its 11 July 2024 ruling (Case No. 2021Da305437, NHIS case) and its 15 January 2026 ruling (Case No. 2023Da239718). Whether the claim is based on workers' compensation or national health insurance, courts in South Korea require a complementarity analysis of each benefit and damages item.\"}}, {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"Does overlapping treatment dates automatically establish a complementary relationship under South Korean law?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"No. Overlapping treatment periods alone are insufficient. The Supreme Court's 12 February 2026 ruling (Case No. 2023Da274933) clarified that even where treatment dates overlap, the relationship is not complementary if the treatment items (treatment categories or specific medical procedures) differ between what the insurer paid and what COMWEL covered. Both the treatment period and the treatment category must be examined together.\"}}, {\"@type\": \"Question\", \"name\": \"What should a liability insurer do in South Korea to reduce its exposure on a COMWEL subrogation claim?\", \"acceptedAnswer\": {\"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"When the injured worker's total damages exceed the liability insurance cap, the insurer should actively establish that any amounts it paid to the injured worker are NOT complementary to COMWEL's benefits. Specifically, future medical costs, emotional distress damages, disability consolation money, and hospitalization nursing costs are typically non-complementary items. If proven, these deductions reduce the remaining liability insurance proceeds owed to COMWEL. The insurer should obtain detailed loss adjustment reports and medical records to conduct a line-by-line complementarity analysis.\"}}], \"@id\": \"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/comwel-subrogation-prior-payments-south-korea#faq\"}<\/script><\/p>\n<p><script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n{\n    \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n    \"@type\": \"LocalBusiness\",\n    \"name\": \"Atlas Legal\",\n    \"image\": \"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/logo.png\",\n    \"url\": \"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\",\n    \"telephone\": \"+82-32-864-8300\",\n    \"address\": {\n        \"@type\": \"PostalAddress\",\n        \"streetAddress\": \"323 Incheon Tower-daero, B-dong 2901, Songdo-dong, Yeonsu-gu\",\n        \"addressLocality\": \"Incheon\",\n        \"addressRegion\": \"Incheon Metropolitan City\",\n        \"addressCountry\": \"KR\"\n    },\n    \"priceRange\": \"$$\",\n    \"openingHoursSpecification\": {\n        \"@type\": \"OpeningHoursSpecification\",\n        \"dayOfWeek\": [\"Monday\",\"Tuesday\",\"Wednesday\",\"Thursday\",\"Friday\"],\n        \"opens\": \"09:00\",\n        \"closes\": \"18:00\"\n    }\n}\n<\/script><\/p>\n<p><!-- ===== CSS ===== --><\/p>\n<style>\n    body {\n        font-family: Georgia, serif;\n        line-height: 1.6;\n        max-width: 1000px;\n        margin: 0 auto;\n        padding: 20px;\n        background-color: #f9f9f9;\n    }\n    .content-container {\n        background-color: white;\n        padding: 20px;\n        margin: 0;\n    }\n    h2 {\n        font-size: 22px;\n        color: #2c3e50;\n        margin-top: 30px;\n        margin-bottom: 10px;\n    }\n    h3 {\n        font-size: 20px;\n        color: #34495e;\n        margin-top: 20px;\n        margin-bottom: 10px;\n    }\n    p, li {\n        font-size: 18px;\n        color: #333;\n        margin-bottom: 10px;\n        margin-top: 0;\n    }\n    ul, ol {\n        padding-left: 25px;\n        margin: 10px 0;\n    }\n    li {\n        margin-bottom: 5px;\n    }\n    table {\n        width: 100%;\n        border-collapse: collapse;\n        margin: 15px 0;\n    }\n    th, td {\n        border: 1px solid #ddd;\n        padding: 10px;\n        text-align: left;\n        font-size: 16px;\n    }\n    th {\n        background-color: #f5f5f5;\n        font-weight: bold;\n    }\n    .toc {\n        padding: 15px;\n        border-radius: 0;\n        margin-bottom: 20px;\n        background-color: #f5f5f5;\n    }\n    .toc h2 {\n        font-size: 20px;\n        margin-top: 0;\n        margin-bottom: 10px;\n    }\n    .toc ul {\n        list-style-type: none;\n        padding-left: 0;\n        margin: 0;\n    }\n    .toc ul li {\n        margin-bottom: 5px;\n    }\n    .toc a {\n        text-decoration: none !important;\n        color: #3498db;\n        border-bottom: none !important;\n    }\n    .toc a:hover {\n        text-decoration: underline;\n    }\n    .story-hook {\n        padding: 15px 20px;\n        margin-bottom: 15px;\n        border-radius: 0;\n        background-color: #f5f5f5;\n    }\n    .story-hook p {\n        font-style: italic;\n        color: #555;\n        line-height: 1.6;\n        font-size: 17px;\n        margin: 0;\n    }\n    .direct-answer {\n        padding: 15px;\n        border-radius: 0;\n        margin-bottom: 20px;\n        font-weight: 500;\n        background-color: #f5f5f5;\n    }\n    .story-detail {\n        padding: 20px;\n        border-radius: 0;\n        margin: 20px 0;\n        background-color: #f5f5f5;\n    }\n    .story-detail h3 {\n        margin-top: 0;\n        font-size: 19px;\n        color: #2c3e50;\n    }\n    .story-detail p {\n        line-height: 1.8;\n        color: #444;\n    }\n    .disclaimer {\n        font-size: 15px;\n        color: #666;\n        font-style: italic;\n        margin-bottom: 15px;\n    }\n    .faq-section {\n        padding: 20px;\n        border-radius: 0;\n        margin: 30px 0;\n        background-color: #f5f5f5;\n    }\n    .faq-item {\n        margin-bottom: 20px;\n    }\n    .faq-question {\n        font-weight: bold;\n        color: #2c3e50;\n        margin-bottom: 8px;\n        font-size: 18px;\n    }\n    .faq-answer {\n        color: #555;\n        font-size: 17px;\n        line-height: 1.6;\n    }\n    .author-box {\n        background-color: #f8f9fa;\n        padding: 20px;\n        border-radius: 0;\n        margin-top: 30px;\n        border-left: 2px solid #722f37;\n    }\n    .author-box h3 {\n        margin-top: 0;\n        margin-bottom: 10px;\n        font-size: 20px;\n        color: #2c3e50;\n        font-weight: bold;\n    }\n    .author-box .author-name {\n        font-size: 18px;\n        font-weight: bold;\n        color: #333;\n        margin-bottom: 5px;\n    }\n    .author-box .author-info {\n        font-size: 16px;\n        color: #555;\n        margin-bottom: 5px;\n        line-height: 1.4;\n    }\n    .author-box a {\n        display: inline-block;\n        background-color: #722f37;\n        color: white;\n        padding: 12px 24px;\n        text-decoration: none;\n        border-radius: 6px;\n        font-size: 16px;\n        font-weight: bold;\n        border: 2px solid #722f37;\n        cursor: pointer;\n        box-shadow: 0 2px 4px rgba(114, 47, 55, 0.3);\n        margin-top: 5px;\n    }\n    br {\n        display: none;\n    }\n    strong {\n        font-weight: bold;\n    }\n    @media (max-width: 768px) {\n        body { padding: 10px; }\n        .content-container { padding: 15px; }\n        h2 { font-size: 18px; }\n        h3 { font-size: 17px; }\n        p, li { font-size: 16px; }\n        th, td { font-size: 14px; padding: 8px; }\n    }\n    .site-container, .content-area, .entry-content {\n        padding: 0;\n        margin: 0;\n    }\n    .entry-content > *:first-child {\n        margin-top: 0 !important;\n    }\n    .entry-content {\n        margin-top: 0 !important;\n    }\n    .kb-row-container, .kb-column-container {\n        margin: 0;\n        padding: 0;\n    }\n<\/style>\n<p><!-- ===== Content ===== --><\/p>\n<div class=\"content-container\">\n<p>    <!-- Table of Contents --><\/p>\n<div class=\"toc\">\n<h2>Table of Contents<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"#section1\">1. What Is the Legal Issue in This South Korea Supreme Court Ruling?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#section2\">2. How Does Workers&#8217; Compensation Subrogation Work in South Korea?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#section3\">3. What Were the Facts of the Case?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#section4\">4. What Is the &#8220;Complementary Relationship&#8221; Test Under South Korean Law?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#section5\">5. How Did the Supreme Court of South Korea Rule?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#section6\">6. What Are the Practical Implications for Insurers and Employers?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#faq\">7. FAQ<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<p>    <!-- Story Hook (50\u201380 words) --><\/p>\n<div class=\"story-hook\">\n<p><strong>A case in point:<\/strong> Worker A was injured in a traffic accident and received workers&#8217; compensation benefits totalling over KRW 25 million from COMWEL. Before COMWEL filed its subrogation claim, the liability insurer had already paid roughly KRW 7.1 million in medical expenses directly to hospitals on A&#8217;s behalf. The insurer argued that this prior payment should be deducted from any amount owed to COMWEL. The Supreme Court of South Korea disagreed \u2014 but the reason why matters enormously.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>    <!-- Direct Answer (40\u201360 words) --><\/p>\n<div class=\"direct-answer\">\n        <strong>Short answer:<\/strong> Under South Korean law, a liability insurer&#8217;s prior payment to the injured worker is deductible from the COMWEL subrogation amount <strong>only if that payment covers a loss category NOT complementary to COMWEL&#8217;s benefits<\/strong>. Payments covering the same category of loss as COMWEL benefits cannot be used to defeat COMWEL&#8217;s subrogation claim (Supreme Court of South Korea, 12 Feb. 2026, Case No. 2023Da274933).\n    <\/div>\n<p>    <!-- Story Development (100\u2013150 words) --><\/p>\n<div class=\"story-detail\">\n<h3>The Lower Court&#8217;s Mistake: Timing Was Not the Issue \u2014 Category Was<\/h3>\n<p class=\"disclaimer\">* The facts below are based on the published court record. All parties are identified by anonymised designations (A, B, etc.) to protect personal information.<\/p>\n<p>The appellate court applied a straightforward rule: the insurer paid first, so deduct first. It subtracted the insurer&#8217;s KRW 7.1 million in medical payments from the victim&#8217;s total damages before calculating what remained within the liability cap \u2014 and concluded COMWEL was owed less. The Supreme Court reversed that approach entirely. The relevant question, it held, is not when the insurer paid, but what the payment was for. If the insurer&#8217;s medical payments covered treatment periods or treatment categories different from those reimbursed by COMWEL, the two payments are not complementary. They address separate losses. Deducting one from the other is therefore impermissible \u2014 and the insurer must return that portion to COMWEL.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"section1\">1. What Is the Legal Issue in This South Korea Supreme Court Ruling?<\/h2>\n<p>The Supreme Court of South Korea&#8217;s ruling of 12 February 2026 (Case No. 2023Da274933, subrogation claim) addresses a question that arises constantly in South Korean insurance litigation: when COMWEL (Korea Workers&#8217; Compensation &#038; Welfare Service) seeks reimbursement from a liability insurer after paying workers&#8217; compensation benefits, can the insurer reduce its exposure by pointing to amounts it already paid directly to the injured worker?<\/p>\n<p>The ruling builds on a line of cases including the Supreme Court&#8217;s 11 July 2024 decision (Case No. 2021Da305437, National Health Insurance Service subrogation) and the 16 July 2025 decision (Case No. 2025Da211133), applying the same analytical framework to industrial accident subrogation disputes. For foreign-invested companies, insurers, and employers operating in South Korea, understanding this framework is essential to managing litigation risk.<\/p>\n<h3>Two Key Legal Propositions Confirmed<\/h3>\n<p>This ruling confirms two propositions that pull in opposite directions. First, if the insurer pays the injured worker for a loss that is complementary to COMWEL&#8217;s benefits \u2014 after COMWEL has already acquired subrogation rights \u2014 the insurer cannot use that payment to defeat COMWEL&#8217;s claim. Second, if the insurer&#8217;s payment to the injured worker covers a loss that is not complementary to COMWEL&#8217;s benefits (such as future medical costs or emotional distress), that payment must be deducted from the liability insurance proceeds owed to COMWEL. The pivot point in both propositions is always the same: the existence or absence of a complementary relationship between the benefit paid and the damages category at issue.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"section2\">2. How Does Workers&#8217; Compensation Subrogation Work in South Korea?<\/h2>\n<p>Article 87(1) of South Korea&#8217;s Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act (IACIA) provides as follows (unofficial translation):<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Where the Corporation pays insurance benefits due to an occupational accident caused by a third party&#8217;s act, it shall subrogate, within the limits of the benefits paid, the rights of the benefit recipient to claim damages against the third party.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Once COMWEL pays benefits to an injured worker, it acquires by operation of law the injured worker&#8217;s tort damages claim against the negligent third party (or that party&#8217;s liability insurer), up to the amount of benefits paid.<\/p>\n<h3>Two Judicial Limits on the Subrogation Scope<\/h3>\n<p>Korean courts have imposed two important restrictions on this statutory subrogation. The first concerns contributory negligence. Under the Supreme Court&#8217;s en banc decision of 24 March 2022 (Case No. 2021Da241618), COMWEL can only subrogate to the portion of benefits corresponding to the third party&#8217;s share of fault. The portion of benefits attributable to the injured worker&#8217;s own contributory negligence is borne by COMWEL as a final matter and cannot be recouped from the third party or its insurer. In this case, the injured worker A was found 30% contributorily negligent, so COMWEL&#8217;s subrogable amount was capped at 70% of each benefit category paid.<\/p>\n<p>The second restriction is the focus of this ruling. Since the Supreme Court&#8217;s 12 April 2002 decision (Case No. 2000Da45419), COMWEL&#8217;s subrogated damages claim is limited to claims that are <strong>complementary<\/strong> to the specific benefit paid \u2014 that is, claims addressing the same category of loss that the benefit was designed to remedy.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"section3\">3. What Were the Facts of the Case?<\/h2>\n<p>Worker A, a sole proprietor in the courier business and an industrial accident insurance subscriber, was riding a motorcycle when struck by a vehicle driven and owned by B. The collision occurred on 8 May 2018, causing A to suffer fractures to the right humerus and right ankle and damage to the right radial nerve, among other injuries.<\/p>\n<h3>Benefits and Medical Payments: A Chronological Overview<\/h3>\n<p>COMWEL paid the following workers&#8217; compensation benefits to A between July 2018 and September 2019, totalling KRW 25,766,340:<\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<th>Benefit Type<\/th>\n<th>Amount (KRW)<\/th>\n<th>Coverage Period<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Medical care benefits (\uc694\uc591\uae09\uc5ec)<\/td>\n<td>8,418,500<\/td>\n<td>8 May 2018 \u2013 28 Jun. 2019<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Temporary disability benefits (\ud734\uc5c5\uae09\uc5ec)<\/td>\n<td>13,673,840<\/td>\n<td>During treatment period<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Disability benefits \/ lump sum (\uc7a5\ud574\uae09\uc5ec)<\/td>\n<td>3,674,000<\/td>\n<td>Post-treatment period<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Total<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>25,766,340<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<p>Separately, the liability insurer \u2014 as the insurer of B&#8217;s commercial vehicle under a mandatory automobile liability insurance policy \u2014 made the following direct medical payments to hospitals:<\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<th>Payment Date<\/th>\n<th>Paid To<\/th>\n<th>Treatment Period Covered<\/th>\n<th>Amount (KRW)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>27 Jun. 2018<\/td>\n<td>Hospital H<\/td>\n<td>4 Jun. \u2013 25 Jun. 2018 (outpatient)<\/td>\n<td>6,767,040<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>26 Jul. 2018<\/td>\n<td>Hospital H<\/td>\n<td>8 May \u2013 28 May 2018 (inpatient)<\/td>\n<td>211,320<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>30 Jan. 2019<\/td>\n<td>Company I<\/td>\n<td>20 Jun. 2018 (Hospital K, outpatient)<\/td>\n<td>147,260<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"3\"><strong>Total (disputed medical payments)<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>7,125,620<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<p>Critically, the insurer&#8217;s medical payments covered treatment periods and treatment items that did not overlap \u2014 or only partially overlapped \u2014 with the medical care benefits paid by COMWEL. This distinction became the crux of the Supreme Court&#8217;s analysis.<\/p>\n<h3>What the Appellate Court Got Wrong<\/h3>\n<p>The Daejeon District Court (appellate division, 22 August 2023, Case No. 2021Na129624) deducted the insurer&#8217;s KRW 7,125,620 in medical payments from A&#8217;s total damages at the outset of its calculation, before determining what remained within the liability cap. After that deduction, the court found COMWEL was owed KRW 8,210,045. The Supreme Court found this approach legally flawed: the appellate court had applied the deduction without first examining whether the insurer&#8217;s payments were complementary to COMWEL&#8217;s medical care benefits. That examination, the Supreme Court held, is mandatory.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"section4\">4. What Is the &#8220;Complementary Relationship&#8221; Test Under South Korean Law?<\/h2>\n<p>A complementary relationship exists when the insurance benefit and the tort damages claim both remedy the same category of loss, such that payment of the benefit extinguishes the corresponding damages claim. Korean courts apply this test on a benefit-by-benefit, item-by-item basis.<\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<th>COMWEL Benefit<\/th>\n<th>Complementary Damages Item<\/th>\n<th>Non-Complementary Items (COMWEL cannot subrogate)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Medical care benefits (\uc694\uc591\uae09\uc5ec)<\/td>\n<td>Past medical expenses (positive damages)<\/td>\n<td>Future medical costs, emotional distress, lost income<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Temporary disability benefits (\ud734\uc5c5\uae09\uc5ec)<\/td>\n<td>Lost income during treatment period (negative damages)<\/td>\n<td>Emotional distress, past medical expenses, post-treatment lost income<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Disability benefits (\uc7a5\ud574\uae09\uc5ec)<\/td>\n<td>Post-treatment lost income (negative damages)<\/td>\n<td>Emotional distress, disability consolation money, future medical costs<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<h3>Why Future Medical Costs and Emotional Distress Fall Outside the Test<\/h3>\n<p>The Supreme Court established in its 24 September 2015 decision (Case No. 2014Da233626) that even though COMWEL&#8217;s medical care benefits and future medical costs both relate to treatment, they address different losses: past treatment already incurred versus treatment not yet received. There is no complementary relationship between them. Similarly, emotional distress (\uc704\uc790\ub8cc) is a category of loss that workers&#8217; compensation benefits do not cover at all \u2014 COMWEL therefore cannot subrogate to an emotional distress damages claim under any circumstances.<\/p>\n<h3>The Cap Problem: When Liability Insurance Is Insufficient<\/h3>\n<p>When the injured worker&#8217;s total damages exceed the liability insurance cap \u2014 so that the insurer&#8217;s maximum payout is less than the victim&#8217;s full loss \u2014 both COMWEL (as subrogee) and the injured worker (for unrecovered loss) have competing claims against the same limited pool of insurance proceeds. In this scenario, the insurer may have already paid some of those proceeds to the injured worker before COMWEL filed its claim. The question of how to allocate responsibility for those prior payments is precisely what this ruling resolves: allocation depends on the complementarity of those prior payments, not on the sequence of payment.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"section5\">5. How Did the Supreme Court of South Korea Rule?<\/h2>\n<p>The Supreme Court vacated the appellate court&#8217;s judgment and remanded, confirming two distinct propositions.<\/p>\n<h3>Proposition 1: Complementary Prior Payments Cannot Defeat COMWEL&#8217;s Claim<\/h3>\n<p>Once COMWEL acquires subrogation rights by paying benefits, a subsequent insurer payment to the injured worker covering the same complementary loss category cannot be used to reduce what the insurer owes COMWEL. The insurer cannot escape its obligation to COMWEL simply by rushing to settle the complementary portion with the injured worker first. This reaffirms the Supreme Court&#8217;s 11 July 2024 ruling (Case No. 2021Da305437).<\/p>\n<h3>Proposition 2: Non-Complementary Prior Payments Must Be Deducted from What the Insurer Owes COMWEL<\/h3>\n<p>Where the insurer has paid the injured worker for a loss that is not complementary to COMWEL&#8217;s benefits \u2014 and the liability cap applies \u2014 that prior payment must be deducted from the liability insurance proceeds otherwise owed to COMWEL. In this case, the Supreme Court noted the following with respect to the disputed KRW 7,125,620:<\/p>\n<p>The insurer&#8217;s payment of KRW 6,767,040 to Hospital H (covering treatment from 8 to 28 May 2018 as inpatient) appeared to differ in both treatment period and treatment category from the medical care benefits COMWEL paid for periods after 28 May 2018. The outpatient payments of KRW 211,320 and KRW 147,260 overlapped in period with COMWEL&#8217;s benefits but potentially differed in treatment category. Where either the treatment period or treatment category differs, complementarity is absent \u2014 and those payments must therefore be deducted from what the insurer owes COMWEL.<\/p>\n<h3>Subrogation Calculation Structure: The Appellate Court&#8217;s Framework (Before Reversal)<\/h3>\n<p>To illustrate how COMWEL&#8217;s subrogable amount is computed, the table below reflects the appellate court&#8217;s calculation structure (before the Supreme Court&#8217;s reversal on the deduction issue). COMWEL&#8217;s recoverable amount per benefit category equals the lesser of: (i) benefits paid minus the injured worker&#8217;s contributory negligence share (\u00d70.7); and (ii) the corresponding damages item, subject to the applicable liability cap.<\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<th>Benefit Type<\/th>\n<th>Benefits Paid (KRW)<\/th>\n<th>After 30% Fault Deduction (\u00d70.7)<\/th>\n<th>Corresponding Damages (KRW)<\/th>\n<th>Liability Cap (KRW)<\/th>\n<th>COMWEL&#8217;s Recoverable Amount (KRW)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Medical care benefits<\/td>\n<td>8,418,500<\/td>\n<td>5,892,950<\/td>\n<td>Past medical expenses: 3,755,264<\/td>\n<td rowspan=\"2\">Injury cap: 10,000,000<\/td>\n<td>3,755,264<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Temporary disability benefits<\/td>\n<td>13,673,840<\/td>\n<td>9,571,688<\/td>\n<td>Lost income (treatment period): 4,454,781<\/td>\n<td>4,454,781<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Disability benefits (lump sum)<\/td>\n<td>3,674,000<\/td>\n<td>2,571,800<\/td>\n<td>Post-treatment lost income: 26,206,880<\/td>\n<td>Disability cap: 10,000,000<\/td>\n<td>2,571,800<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"5\"><strong>Total COMWEL Claim<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>10,781,845<\/strong><br \/>(amount claimed: 10,541,680)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<p>The Supreme Court accepted this calculation structure in principle but remanded on the question of whether the insurer&#8217;s KRW 7,125,620 in medical payments was complementary to COMWEL&#8217;s medical care benefits \u2014 a factual determination that had not been made below.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"section6\">6. What Are the Practical Implications for Insurers and Employers in South Korea?<\/h2>\n<p>This ruling has direct operational consequences for anyone involved in workplace accident litigation in South Korea.<\/p>\n<h3>For Liability Insurers: How to Reduce Exposure on COMWEL Subrogation Claims in South Korea<\/h3>\n<p>When the liability cap applies and you have already made direct medical payments to the injured worker, do not assume those payments automatically reduce your exposure to COMWEL. You must demonstrate, through detailed medical records and loss adjustment reports, that each payment you made covers a treatment period or treatment category that differs from what COMWEL reimbursed. Non-complementary items \u2014 future medical costs, emotional distress, disability consolation money, and nursing costs during hospitalisation \u2014 are your strongest basis for deduction. Payments covering the same past medical expenses as COMWEL&#8217;s medical care benefits, however, cannot be used defensively against COMWEL&#8217;s claim.<\/p>\n<h3>For Employers and Risk Managers Operating in South Korea<\/h3>\n<p>Where an industrial accident also involves a third-party tortfeasor, the interaction between workers&#8217; compensation and liability insurance creates significant complexity. The injured worker, COMWEL, and the liability insurer all have concurrent or successive claims against a shared pool of insurance proceeds. Employers and risk managers should ensure that their insurers are conducting item-by-item complementarity analyses rather than relying on a simple temporal priority argument. An insurer that pays the injured worker first \u2014 hoping to exhaust the cap before COMWEL files \u2014 may find that strategy fails entirely if its payments were complementary to COMWEL&#8217;s benefits.<\/p>\n<h3>Cross-Application: National Health Insurance Subrogation in South Korea<\/h3>\n<p>This framework applies with equal force to subrogation claims by the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) under Article 58 of the National Health Insurance Act. The Supreme Court confirmed this in its 15 January 2026 ruling (Case No. 2023Da239718) and its 11 July 2024 ruling (Case No. 2021Da305437). Foreign-invested companies and insurers active in South Korea should therefore treat both COMWEL and NHIS subrogation claims with the same analytical discipline: a line-by-line complementarity review of every payment made against every benefit category paid.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"faq\">7. FAQ<\/h2>\n<div class=\"faq-section\">\n<div class=\"faq-item\">\n<div class=\"faq-question\">Q1. What is subrogation under South Korea&#8217;s Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act?<\/div>\n<div class=\"faq-answer\">A. Under Article 87(1) of South Korea&#8217;s Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act (IACIA), when COMWEL pays benefits to an injured worker due to a third party&#8217;s negligence, COMWEL acquires by subrogation the injured worker&#8217;s damage claim against that third party, up to the amount of benefits paid. However, the scope of subrogation is limited to claims that are &#8220;complementary&#8221; to the benefits paid \u2014 meaning benefits and damages must cover the same category of loss (Supreme Court of South Korea, 12 Feb. 2026, Case No. 2023Da274933).<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"faq-item\">\n<div class=\"faq-question\">Q2. Can a liability insurer in South Korea deduct prior payments made to the injured worker from the amount owed to COMWEL?<\/div>\n<div class=\"faq-answer\">A. It depends on what was paid. If the insurer paid amounts that are complementary to COMWEL&#8217;s benefits (e.g., past medical expenses for the same treatment period and category), those payments cannot be deducted from COMWEL&#8217;s subrogation claim \u2014 even if paid after COMWEL acquired subrogation rights. However, if the insurer paid amounts that are not complementary to COMWEL&#8217;s benefits (e.g., future medical costs, emotional distress damages), those payments must be deducted from the liability insurance proceeds owed to COMWEL (Supreme Court of South Korea, 12 Feb. 2026, Case No. 2023Da274933).<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"faq-item\">\n<div class=\"faq-question\">Q3. What does &#8220;complementary relationship&#8221; mean in South Korean workers&#8217; compensation subrogation law?<\/div>\n<div class=\"faq-answer\">A. A complementary relationship (\uc0c1\ud638\ubcf4\uc644\uc801 \uad00\uacc4) exists when both the insurance benefit and the tort damages claim compensate for the same category of loss, such that paying one extinguishes the corresponding damages claim. For example, COMWEL&#8217;s medical care benefits are complementary to past medical expense damages. By contrast, future medical costs and emotional distress are not complementary to COMWEL&#8217;s benefits, because those losses fall outside what workers&#8217; compensation covers (Supreme Court of South Korea, 24 Sept. 2015, Case No. 2014Da233626).<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"faq-item\">\n<div class=\"faq-question\">Q4. Does the complementary relationship test also apply to National Health Insurance subrogation claims in South Korea?<\/div>\n<div class=\"faq-answer\">A. Yes. The same legal standard applies to subrogation claims by the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) under Article 58 of the National Health Insurance Act. The Supreme Court of South Korea applied identical reasoning in its 11 July 2024 ruling (Case No. 2021Da305437) and its 15 January 2026 ruling (Case No. 2023Da239718). Whether the claim is based on workers&#8217; compensation or national health insurance, South Korean courts require a complementarity analysis of each benefit and damages item.<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"faq-item\">\n<div class=\"faq-question\">Q5. Does overlapping treatment dates automatically establish a complementary relationship under South Korean law?<\/div>\n<div class=\"faq-answer\">A. No. Overlapping treatment periods alone are insufficient. The Supreme Court&#8217;s 12 February 2026 ruling (Case No. 2023Da274933) clarified that even where treatment dates overlap, the relationship is not complementary if the treatment items differ between what the insurer paid and what COMWEL covered. Both the treatment period and the treatment category must be examined together.<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"faq-item\">\n<div class=\"faq-question\">Q6. What should a liability insurer do in South Korea to reduce exposure on a COMWEL subrogation claim?<\/div>\n<div class=\"faq-answer\">A. When the injured worker&#8217;s total damages exceed the liability cap, the insurer should actively establish that amounts it paid to the injured worker are not complementary to COMWEL&#8217;s benefits. Future medical costs, emotional distress damages, disability consolation money, and hospitalisation nursing costs are typically non-complementary items. If proven, these deductions reduce the liability insurance proceeds owed to COMWEL. The insurer should obtain detailed loss adjustment reports and medical records to conduct a line-by-line complementarity analysis.<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Atlas Legal advises insurers, employers, and foreign-invested companies on workers&#8217; compensation subrogation disputes and insurance litigation in South Korea. Our team&#8217;s hands-on experience handling complex multi-party insurance claims across Incheon Songdo and the broader Korean market means we can provide practical, jurisdiction-specific guidance from the outset.<\/p>\n<p class=\"disclaimer\">* The information in this article is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The applicable law and outcome may vary depending on the specific facts of each case. Please consult a qualified attorney before taking any action.<\/p>\n<div class=\"author-box\" style=\"background-color: #f8f9fa; padding: 20px; border-radius: 0; margin-top: 30px; border-left: 2px solid #722f37;\">\n<h3>About the Author<\/h3>\n<div class=\"author-name\">Park Soyoung | Attorney-at-Law<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-info\">Specialist in family law, inheritance, and construction &#038; real estate disputes<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-info\">Judicial Research &#038; Training Institute, 33rd Class<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-info\">Korea University, School of Law<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-info\">Atlas Legal | Incheon Songdo, South Korea<\/div>\n<p>        <a href=\"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Visit Atlas Legal Website<\/a>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Table of Contents 1. What Is the Legal Issue in This South Korea Supreme Court Ruling? 2. How Does Workers&#8217; Compensation Subrogation Work in South Korea? 3. What Were the Facts of the Case? 4. What Is the &#8220;Complementary Relationship&#8221; Test Under South Korean Law? 5. How Did the Supreme Court of South Korea Rule?&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"default","_kad_post_title":"default","_kad_post_layout":"default","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"default","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"default","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[15,690,1],"tags":[594,592,595,593,485],"class_list":["post-723","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-corporate","category-employment-labor","category-1","tag-complementary-relationship-test","tag-comwel-subrogation","tag-industrial-accident-insurance-korea","tag-liability-insurance-south-korea","tag-workers-compensation-south-korea"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>South Korea: COMWEL Subrogation Prior Payments | Atlas Legal<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Insurer prior payments and COMWEL subrogation in South Korea: deductible only if not complementary to benefits. 2026 Supreme Court ruling explained.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/comwel-subrogation-prior-payments-south-korea\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"ko_KR\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"South Korea: COMWEL Subrogation Prior Payments | Atlas Legal\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Insurer prior payments and COMWEL subrogation in South Korea: deductible only if not complementary to benefits. 2026 Supreme Court ruling explained.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/comwel-subrogation-prior-payments-south-korea\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Atlas Legal Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-03-24T03:37:24+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-05-03T08:32:57+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"\ubc95\ubb34\ubc95\uc778 \uc544\ud2c0\ub77c\uc2a4\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"\uae00\uc4f4\uc774\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"\ubc95\ubb34\ubc95\uc778 \uc544\ud2c0\ub77c\uc2a4\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"\uc608\uc0c1 \ub418\ub294 \ud310\ub3c5 \uc2dc\uac04\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"17\ubd84\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/atlaw.kr\\\/en-blog\\\/comwel-subrogation-prior-payments-south-korea\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/atlaw.kr\\\/en-blog\\\/comwel-subrogation-prior-payments-south-korea\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"\ubc95\ubb34\ubc95\uc778 \uc544\ud2c0\ub77c\uc2a4\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/atlaw.kr\\\/en-blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/184bcdecc06f89fd6c36b29781165b55\"},\"headline\":\"South Korea: COMWEL Subrogation Prior Payments\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-03-24T03:37:24+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-05-03T08:32:57+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/atlaw.kr\\\/en-blog\\\/comwel-subrogation-prior-payments-south-korea\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":2910,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/atlaw.kr\\\/en-blog\\\/#organization\"},\"keywords\":[\"complementary relationship test\",\"COMWEL subrogation\",\"industrial accident insurance Korea\",\"liability insurance South Korea\",\"workers compensation South Korea\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Corporate\\\/International\",\"Employment &amp; Labor\"],\"inLanguage\":\"ko-KR\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/atlaw.kr\\\/en-blog\\\/comwel-subrogation-prior-payments-south-korea\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/atlaw.kr\\\/en-blog\\\/comwel-subrogation-prior-payments-south-korea\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/atlaw.kr\\\/en-blog\\\/comwel-subrogation-prior-payments-south-korea\\\/\",\"name\":\"South Korea: COMWEL Subrogation Prior Payments | Atlas Legal\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/atlaw.kr\\\/en-blog\\\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2026-03-24T03:37:24+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-05-03T08:32:57+00:00\",\"description\":\"Insurer prior payments and COMWEL subrogation in South Korea: deductible only if not complementary to benefits. 2026 Supreme Court ruling explained.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/atlaw.kr\\\/en-blog\\\/comwel-subrogation-prior-payments-south-korea\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"ko-KR\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/atlaw.kr\\\/en-blog\\\/comwel-subrogation-prior-payments-south-korea\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/atlaw.kr\\\/en-blog\\\/comwel-subrogation-prior-payments-south-korea\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"\ud648\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/atlaw.kr\\\/en-blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"South Korea: COMWEL Subrogation Prior Payments\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/atlaw.kr\\\/en-blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/atlaw.kr\\\/en-blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"Atlas Legal English Blog\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/atlaw.kr\\\/en-blog\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/atlaw.kr\\\/en-blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"ko-KR\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/atlaw.kr\\\/en-blog\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Atlas Legal English Blog\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/atlaw.kr\\\/en-blog\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"ko-KR\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/atlaw.kr\\\/en-blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/atlaw.kr\\\/en-blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/3\\\/2025\\\/09\\\/\ud3f4\ub354-\uc0c1\ub2e8-\uc9c1\uc0ac\uac01\ud615.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/atlaw.kr\\\/en-blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/3\\\/2025\\\/09\\\/\ud3f4\ub354-\uc0c1\ub2e8-\uc9c1\uc0ac\uac01\ud615.png\",\"width\":540,\"height\":485,\"caption\":\"Atlas Legal English Blog\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/atlaw.kr\\\/en-blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/atlaw.kr\\\/en-blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/184bcdecc06f89fd6c36b29781165b55\",\"name\":\"\ubc95\ubb34\ubc95\uc778 \uc544\ud2c0\ub77c\uc2a4\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"ko-KR\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/d4c25916239244225f5f853b2ddf50fdcb7ea24d63347445261fe71c707cc558?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/d4c25916239244225f5f853b2ddf50fdcb7ea24d63347445261fe71c707cc558?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/d4c25916239244225f5f853b2ddf50fdcb7ea24d63347445261fe71c707cc558?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"\ubc95\ubb34\ubc95\uc778 \uc544\ud2c0\ub77c\uc2a4\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/atlaw.kr\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/atlaw.kr\\\/en-blog\\\/author\\\/prinz001\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"South Korea: COMWEL Subrogation Prior Payments | Atlas Legal","description":"Insurer prior payments and COMWEL subrogation in South Korea: deductible only if not complementary to benefits. 2026 Supreme Court ruling explained.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/comwel-subrogation-prior-payments-south-korea\/","og_locale":"ko_KR","og_type":"article","og_title":"South Korea: COMWEL Subrogation Prior Payments | Atlas Legal","og_description":"Insurer prior payments and COMWEL subrogation in South Korea: deductible only if not complementary to benefits. 2026 Supreme Court ruling explained.","og_url":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/comwel-subrogation-prior-payments-south-korea\/","og_site_name":"Atlas Legal Blog","article_published_time":"2026-03-24T03:37:24+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-05-03T08:32:57+00:00","author":"\ubc95\ubb34\ubc95\uc778 \uc544\ud2c0\ub77c\uc2a4","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"\uae00\uc4f4\uc774":"\ubc95\ubb34\ubc95\uc778 \uc544\ud2c0\ub77c\uc2a4","\uc608\uc0c1 \ub418\ub294 \ud310\ub3c5 \uc2dc\uac04":"17\ubd84"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/comwel-subrogation-prior-payments-south-korea\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/comwel-subrogation-prior-payments-south-korea\/"},"author":{"name":"\ubc95\ubb34\ubc95\uc778 \uc544\ud2c0\ub77c\uc2a4","@id":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/#\/schema\/person\/184bcdecc06f89fd6c36b29781165b55"},"headline":"South Korea: COMWEL Subrogation Prior Payments","datePublished":"2026-03-24T03:37:24+00:00","dateModified":"2026-05-03T08:32:57+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/comwel-subrogation-prior-payments-south-korea\/"},"wordCount":2910,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/#organization"},"keywords":["complementary relationship test","COMWEL subrogation","industrial accident insurance Korea","liability insurance South Korea","workers compensation South Korea"],"articleSection":["Corporate\/International","Employment &amp; Labor"],"inLanguage":"ko-KR","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/comwel-subrogation-prior-payments-south-korea\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/comwel-subrogation-prior-payments-south-korea\/","url":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/comwel-subrogation-prior-payments-south-korea\/","name":"South Korea: COMWEL Subrogation Prior Payments | Atlas Legal","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/#website"},"datePublished":"2026-03-24T03:37:24+00:00","dateModified":"2026-05-03T08:32:57+00:00","description":"Insurer prior payments and COMWEL subrogation in South Korea: deductible only if not complementary to benefits. 2026 Supreme Court ruling explained.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/comwel-subrogation-prior-payments-south-korea\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"ko-KR","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/comwel-subrogation-prior-payments-south-korea\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/comwel-subrogation-prior-payments-south-korea\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"\ud648","item":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"South Korea: COMWEL Subrogation Prior Payments"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/","name":"Atlas Legal English Blog","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"ko-KR"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/#organization","name":"Atlas Legal English Blog","url":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"ko-KR","@id":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/09\/\ud3f4\ub354-\uc0c1\ub2e8-\uc9c1\uc0ac\uac01\ud615.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/09\/\ud3f4\ub354-\uc0c1\ub2e8-\uc9c1\uc0ac\uac01\ud615.png","width":540,"height":485,"caption":"Atlas Legal English Blog"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/#\/schema\/person\/184bcdecc06f89fd6c36b29781165b55","name":"\ubc95\ubb34\ubc95\uc778 \uc544\ud2c0\ub77c\uc2a4","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"ko-KR","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d4c25916239244225f5f853b2ddf50fdcb7ea24d63347445261fe71c707cc558?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d4c25916239244225f5f853b2ddf50fdcb7ea24d63347445261fe71c707cc558?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d4c25916239244225f5f853b2ddf50fdcb7ea24d63347445261fe71c707cc558?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"\ubc95\ubb34\ubc95\uc778 \uc544\ud2c0\ub77c\uc2a4"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/atlaw.kr"],"url":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/author\/prinz001\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/723","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=723"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/723\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":954,"href":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/723\/revisions\/954"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=723"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=723"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atlaw.kr\/en-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=723"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}