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Busan Metropolitan City to Expand Citizen Safety Insurance Coverage Starting February 2026: First Metropolitan Government in Korea to Introduce Coverage for “Sinkhole (Ground Subsidence)” Accidents

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that it will operate the Citizen Safety Insurance program—designed to support the livelihood stability of Busan citizens in the event of disasters or accidents—with expanded and strengthened coverage items and limits starting in February 2026.

Citizen Safety Insurance is a free disaster and accident insurance program operated by the City. All citizens registered as residents of Busan Metropolitan City (including registered foreign residents) are automatically enrolled without any separate subscription procedures.

Coverage applies regardless of where in Korea the accident occurs. Benefits may be paid in duplicate regardless of whether the insured person is covered by other insurance plans, including private indemnity insurance.

Starting in February 2026, Busan citizens will be covered under Citizen Safety Insurance for a total of 10 items, including: ▲death and permanent disability due to sinkhole (ground subsidence) injuries ▲death and permanent disability due to injuries from explosion, fire, collapse, or landslide ▲death and permanent disability due to injuries while using public transportation ▲medical expenses for injuries from traffic accidents in school zones ▲death from natural disasters ▲death from social disasters ▲compensation for victims of sexual violence crimes, and others.

Busan Metropolitan City analyzed the operation results of Citizen Safety Insurance over the past four years (from February 1, 2022 to the present in December 2025). Based on this analysis, the City expanded high-benefit coverage items to strengthen practical benefits for citizens, while reinforcing an insurance framework centered on disaster response that is closely connected to citizens’ daily lives.

As the likelihood of major natural disasters caused by rapid climate change and social disasters such as mass-crowd incidents increases, the City raised the death benefit for natural disasters and social disasters from KRW 13 million to KRW 20 million, thereby strengthening support for affected citizens.

In particular, coverage for sinkhole (ground subsidence) accidents is being introduced for the first time among metropolitan local governments nationwide. With increasing concerns over sinkhole incidents in Busan due to aging water and sewage pipelines and large-scale construction projects, Busan Metropolitan City established a new coverage item that provides up to KRW 10 million for death or permanent disability resulting from sinkhole accidents, reinforcing preparedness for disasters closely linked to citizens’ daily lives.

In addition, compensation for victims of sexual violence crimes will be expanded from children aged 12 and under to all age groups, broadening the scope of coverage for victims.

To enhance the effectiveness of Citizen Safety Insurance, Busan Metropolitan City will also pursue improvements to the insurance operation framework through role-sharing between the City and its districts (gus). Under this plan, Citizen Safety Insurance will be operated as a metropolitan-level coverage system centered on large-scale disasters, while district-level resident safety insurance will be operated as a supplementary coverage system focused on everyday accidents. Through this approach, the City aims to reduce duplicate insurance subscriptions while strengthening citizen benefits.

Claims for Citizen Safety Insurance may be filed within three years from the date of the accident or the date of diagnosis of permanent disability. If the claimant was a citizen of Busan Metropolitan City at the time of the accident, insurance benefits may be paid within the coverage limit for each item regardless of the claimant’s current address or where the accident occurred.

If multiple coverage items apply, duplicate benefits may be paid. In addition, compensation may also be received in duplicate with district-level resident safety insurance programs operated by districts.

For accidents occurring from February 2026 onward, inquiries should be directed to the Korea Local Finance Association (☎1577-5939). For accidents occurring between 2022 and January 2026, inquiries should be directed to the DB Insurance Consortium (☎1522-3556).

Mayor Park Heong-joon said, “We will strengthen support so that Citizen Safety Insurance can serve as a dependable social safety net in daily life,” adding, “We will do our utmost to build a safe Busan where citizens can live with peace of mind even in unexpected accidents and disaster situations.”