Effective Dates: 10/18/2022 - Present Previous | Next

TN 7 (10-22)

GN 01741.120 U.S. Totalization Benefits under the U.S. - Korean Agreement

A. Benefit qualification and claims adjudication under the Agreement

Under the Agreement, if a Number Holder (NH) has at least six U.S. Quarters of Coverage (QCs), but not enough to receive U.S. benefits, the Social Security Administration (SSA) can count the NH's periods of work under the Korean social security system. These periods may permit the NH (and any dependents or survivors) to qualify for U.S. Totalization benefits. If the NH has enough QCs under the U.S. system to qualify for U.S. benefits, SSA cannot count Korean credits.

1. Field Office (FO) adjudication responsibilities for processing claims under the Agreement

When a NH does not have enough U.S. coverage to meet fully insured status, but the NH has at least six QCs. FO technicians must take an initial claim to process the insured status denial. The initial denial automatically generates a notice to inform the applicant that the applicant does not meet the insured status requirement based on U.S. coverage alone. It also informs the worker that we will request the applicant’s Korean earnings record.

The FO routes the claim to:

Social Security Administration
Division of International Operations
P.O. Box 17769
Baltimore, MD 21235-7769
FAX number: 410-966-1861

If courier service is used, mail to:

Social Security Administration
Division of International Operations
6100 Wabash Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21215

For more information about processing Totalization insured status notices for claims for U.S. benefits, see GN 01702.315 through GN 01702.325.

2. Division of International Operations (DIO) adjudication responsibilities for processing claims under the Agreement

DIO requests and converts Korean periods of coverage on the Korean earnings record to U.S. QCs before adjudicating the claim.

B. Crediting Korean coverage under the Agreement

Periods of coverage under the U.S. system are measured in terms of calendar quarters while Korean periods of coverage are measured in months. The number of QCs SSA will credit for any calendar year based on Korean coverage will equal the number of months of Korean coverage in the year divided by three, plus one QC for any remaining fraction. SSA will credit one quarter of coverage in a calendar year for every three months of coverage certified for that year by the Korean agency.

However, no credit will be given for:

  • •

    Any month in a calendar quarter that is already credited as a U.S. QC; or

  • •

    More than four QCs for any calendar year.

C. Computing benefits

When U.S. insured status is established based on combined U.S. and Korean coverage, the amount of the U.S. Totalization benefit will be determined using the computation method described in GN 01701.200.

D. References

  • •

    GN 01702.315, Processing Totalization Insured-Status Notices in Claims for U.S. Benefits

  • •

    GN 01702.325, Summary of Field Office Development and Processing of U.S. Totalization Claims and Foreign Claims (Regular and Totalization)

To Link to this section - Use this URL:
http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0201741120
GN 01741.120 - U.S. Totalization Benefits under the U.S. - Korean Agreement - 10/18/2022
Batch run: 03/03/2025
Rev:10/18/2022