Comprehensive Summary of Eligibility Criteria for Retirement Pension Education | HR Checklist for DB and DC Plan Subscribers
Employees eligible for retirement pension education are those enrolled in a Defined Benefit (DB) or Defined Contribution (DC) retirement pension plan if the company has established such a plan. HR managers must first verify whether the company operates only a severance pay system or if it also operates DB or DC retirement pension plans, and who the participants are.
Retirement pension education is not merely about "sharing materials for retirement preparation." It is training that informs participants about the structure of the company's retirement pension system, types of benefits, eligibility requirements, management methods, and specific details for DB and DC types. Therefore, HR personnel must manage the list of trainees, system types, training materials, completion status, and supporting documents together.
This article summarizes the eligibility criteria for retirement pension education and HR requirements for DB and DC plan participants.
short answer
Retirement pension education is Subscribers at workplaces that have established a DB or DC type retirement pension plan It must be conducted targeting.
Workplaces that operate only a severance pay system and have not established a retirement pension system must be viewed separately from general retirement pension education targets. Conversely, if a company operates a Defined Benefit (DB) plan, a Defined Contribution (DC) plan, or both, HR personnel must identify participants in each plan and check whether education is being conducted at least once a year.
The key point is not “whether the same materials were sent to all employees,” but, Did we provide training appropriate to the system type to employees enrolled in our company's retirement pension plan? The criteria for participants must be clear in order to accurately organize supporting documents such as educational materials, completion management, certificates, and training logs.
When will it be applied?
This article can be a reference for HR managers who need to organize retirement pension education participants or verify the criteria for DB and DC plan participants.
Differentiating training participants is particularly important for companies that have a mix of severance pay and retirement pension systems, or operate both Defined Benefit (DB) and Defined Contribution (DC) plans. This is because treating all employees the same may result in the omission of actual retirement pension participants or the provision of data that does not match the specific system type.
Furthermore, relying solely on the annual training schedule may lead to omissions when there are new hires, mid-term participants, those returning from leave, or those switching programs. HR personnel must manage not only the list of participants at the time of training but also those whose eligibility changes throughout the year.
Even when training is outsourced to retirement pension providers or external professional organizations, HR's responsibility for verification does not disappear. Even if the outsourced agency conducts the training, the company must verify the trainees, training materials, completion results, and whether supporting documents have been provided.
What HR Managers Should Do
1. First, check our company's retirement benefit system.
To determine the target audience for retirement pension education, you must first identify which retirement benefit system your company operates. The target audience and educational materials may vary depending on whether the company operates only a severance pay system, a Defined Benefit (DB) system, a Defined Contribution (DC) system, or both.
It is advisable for HR personnel to first review the retirement pension regulations, contract data with the pension provider, subscriber lists, and the current status of the payroll system. In older workplaces, there may be cases where some employees are enrolled in the existing severance pay system, while others are enrolled in the retirement pension system.
In this case, rather than simply treating the training target as "all employees," you should organize it based on actual enrollment in a retirement pension plan. Training management standards may differ for employees covered only by the severance pay system and those enrolled in DB or DC retirement pension plans.
2. Differentiate between DB and DC type subscribers.
The most important practical point in retirement pension education is distinguishing between DB and DC plan participants.
In a Defined Benefit (DB) plan, the company manages the funds for retirement benefits, and employees receive benefits upon retirement based on a predetermined calculation method. On the other hand, in a Defined Contribution (DC) plan, the company deposits a fixed amount into the subscriber's account, and the subscriber directly manages the accumulated funds.
Therefore, rather than operating the educational materials in a completely identical manner, it is recommended to organize them by distinguishing between common training items and training items specific to each system.
| division | Things HR needs to check |
|---|---|
| Common Training Requirements | Types of benefits, eligibility requirements, benefit payment procedures, early withdrawal, secured loans, taxation system, etc. |
| DB type subscribers | Salary calculation structure, status of company contributions, status of reserves, operational status, etc. |
| DC type subscribers | User contributions, payment timing, operation method, investment risks, fees, etc. |
| Parallel operation of DB and DC types | Check if the system types were categorized and explained for each subscriber. |
In particular, since investment results can affect the retirement benefits of DC plan participants, educational materials must be structured to help them understand investment methods, investment risks, fees, and diversification principles.
For DB-type subscribers, it is important to provide guidance so that they can understand the company's fund management status, benefit levels, and the operation of the system. Even for the same retirement pension education, the content to be emphasized may vary depending on the subscriber type.
3. Create a list of trainees.
Managing the list of trainees is crucial for retirement pension education. HR managers should organize training targets based on the list of retirement pension subscribers, rather than the entire employee list.
It is recommended to organize the list together with name, department, employment type, enrollment plan, enrollment date, eligibility for training, training completion status, and whether a certificate or record of completion is retained. In particular, for companies operating both DB and DC plans, the plan type for each subscriber must be clearly indicated.
If there are employees who join mid-year or switch plans, relying solely on the existing annual training schedule may result in omissions. For example, if there are employees who joined after completing training at the beginning of the year, or those who switched to a Defined Contribution (DC) plan mid-year, you must verify the criteria for separate notifications and supplementary training.
Rather than creating the training list once and being done with it, it is recommended to manage it by updating it whenever there is a hiring, resignation, leave of absence, return to work, or system change.
4. Check if the educational materials match the system type.
Retirement pension education materials must be tailored to the type of system operated by the company. If a company operating only a Defined Benefit (DB) plan provides materials centered on Defined Contribution (DC) investment products, or if DC plan participants are provided with materials centered on DB plans, the educational content may not align with the actual system.
Educational materials can commonly include the purpose of the retirement pension system, types of benefits, eligibility requirements, benefit payment procedures, early withdrawal, secured loans, the tax system, and the importance of retirement planning. It is also recommended to add separate items for the DB and DC types.
Even when utilizing materials provided by retirement pension providers or specialized agencies, HR managers must verify whether the data aligns with the company's specific system type. Rather than using external materials as is, it is essential to review whether the guidance is tailored to the company's subscriber status and existing operational plans.
Educational materials should not stop at merely explaining financial products. HR representatives should structure the materials so that subscribers can connect their specific plan type with the training content for better understanding.
5. We retain completion results and supporting documents.
If you have conducted retirement pension training, you must organize supporting documents such as training materials, participant lists, training logs, certificates of completion, online completion records, and email sending records. Even if the training was conducted, it is difficult to verify later if the supporting documents are scattered.
If the training is conducted online, you must check whether certificates of completion or individual completion records can be verified. When distributing training materials via paper or email, it is advisable to keep records of dispatch, material content, participant lists, and responses to additional inquiries.
Even when training is outsourced to a retirement pension provider or an external professional agency, HR personnel must verify whether the training was actually conducted, whether the participants completed it, and whether certificates of completion or training result materials can be obtained.
Since retirement pension training is repeated every year, managing it by assigning yearly folders and file names makes it easy to check even if the person in charge changes. For example, 2026 Retirement Pension Education Participants List , 2026 Retirement Pension Education Certificate , 2026_Retirement_Pension_Education_Educational_Materials If you organize them like this, it is easier to find supporting documents.
Retirement Pension Education Eligibility Checklist
| item | check |
|---|---|
| I checked whether our company's retirement benefit system is a severance pay system or a retirement pension system. | ☐ |
| We checked whether DB and DC type retirement pension schemes were in operation. | ☐ |
| I checked the retirement pension regulations and the retirement pension provider contract data. | ☐ |
| The lists of DB-type and DC-type subscribers were separated. | ☐ |
| New hires, mid-term subscribers, and those switching plans were included in the training target. | ☐ |
| We reviewed whether the training materials were suitable for our company's system type. | ☐ |
| Common training requirements were separated into DB and DC type training requirements. | ☐ |
| Training methods were determined, including online, written, and group training. | ☐ |
| I checked if there was a way to verify the certificate of completion or the course completion record. | ☐ |
| Criteria for re-notifying those who have not completed the course have been established. | ☐ |
| Educational materials, participant lists, training logs, and certificates of completion were kept. | ☐ |
| Recorded the training schedule and material improvements for the following year. | ☐ |
Common mistakes
The first mistake is failing to distinguish between the severance pay system and the retirement pension system. Retirement pension education is provided to participants when a Defined Benefit (DB) or Defined Contribution (DC) retirement pension system has been established. You must first verify which retirement benefit system the company operates.
The second mistake is distributing the same materials without distinguishing between DB and DC plan subscribers. While common educational materials can be used together, the content that needs to be emphasized in training differs between DB and DC plans. In particular, for DC plans, it is necessary to provide more specific guidance on management methods, investment risks, fees, and contribution payment standards.
The third mistake is failing to update the list of training participants. Failure to reflect new hires, mid-term subscribers, those switching schemes, and those returning from leave may result in missed training sessions.
The fourth mistake is outsourcing training without verifying supporting documents. Even when entrusting training to a retirement pension provider or a specialized agency, HR must verify the trainees, completion status, training materials, and completion results.
The fifth mistake is sending training materials but failing to verify completion. You need to determine, based on your operational methods, whether a record of sending materials is sufficient or if you need to separately verify online training completion certificates or training history.
If EAP support is needed
Retirement pension education is designed to help with retirement planning and understanding the retirement benefit system. An EAP does not replace retirement pension education, nor is it a system that provides information on retirement pension products or financial advice.
However, employees may experience anxiety regarding retirement planning or stress related to career transitions during changes to the retirement pension system, wage peak systems, organizational restructuring, reorganization, or support processes for prospective retirees. In such cases, EAP can be utilized as a supplementary channel to alleviate the psychological burden on employees and help them adapt to the changing circumstances.
For example, if an employee expresses anxiety during orientation sessions for prospective retirees, organizational restructuring communications, or career transition support for long-term employees, HR can guide them to an EAP counseling channel separate from retirement pension education.
EAP guidance text can be used as follows.
If you experience psychological burden or anxiety during changes to the retirement pension system, retirement preparation, or the career transition process, you can utilize the EAP counseling channel. EAP does not replace retirement pension education or financial product guidance; it is a supplementary channel designed to support the psychological well-being of employees.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Are all employees eligible for the retirement pension education?
Rather than assuming that all employees are eligible, you should first verify whether the company has established a Defined Benefit (DB) or Defined Contribution (DC) retirement pension plan and whether the employee is enrolled in that plan. It is advisable to manage employees covered only by the severance pay system separately from those enrolled in the retirement pension plan.
Q2. Is it permissible to provide the same educational materials to DB and DC plan subscribers?
While common training requirements can be provided together, the specific details to check differ between DB and DC plans. It is advisable to differentiate between the company's fund management and salary levels for DB plans, and employer contributions, investment methods, investment risks, and fees for DC plans.
Q3. Can retirement pension education be conducted online?
Online education methods utilizing information and communication networks may also be used. However, even when conducted online, you must manage the trainees, educational materials, completion status, completion records, and criteria for re-notifying those who have not completed the course.
Q4. If I outsource training to a retirement pension provider, are the HR tasks finished?
No. Even if training is outsourced, the company must verify the list of participants, whether the training was conducted, completion results, training materials, and supporting documents. It is advisable to check in advance what materials the outsourcing agency will provide.
Q5. Are employees who joined mid-year also included in the retirement pension education program?
For employees who joined mid-term and are enrolled in the retirement pension scheme, you must verify their eligibility for training. Since employees who joined after the annual training or those who switched schemes are easily overlooked, it is advisable to establish separate notifications and criteria for supplementary training.
Next step
Retirement pension education is not simply a task of distributing training materials. HR personnel must manage the company's retirement benefit system, lists of DB and DC plan participants, the composition of training materials, verification of completion, and the storage of supporting documents.
If you wish to streamline the operation of mandatory legal training, personal information protection training, retirement pension training, and employee psychological support at the organizational level, review the operational methods suitable for your organization through a Nudge EAP implementation consultation.
👉 Go to Nudge EAP Implementation Consultation →
Source and Information
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National Law Information Center, Article 32 of the Employee Retirement Benefit Guarantee Act
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Ministry of Employment and Labor Retirement Pension Education, DB vs. DC
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Korea Labor Welfare Network, Introduction to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
This content is intended for general informational purposes. Specific legal matters, labor relations, retirement pensions, educational operations, personal information protection, and psychological counseling issues may vary depending on the specific workplace situation and the latest laws, so a review by relevant experts may be necessary.