Work Injury Claims, in the Order You Are Most Likely to Miss a Step

As of October 2, 2026. When you are hurt at work, your mind goes blank, and remembering procedure on top of that is hard. But the one step you skip can turn into money and time later. This post lays out the steps in the order they happen.

Whether a specific incident is recognized as a work injury is always decided by the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service. What follows is procedure, not case outcomes. For your own situation, check the latest guidance with COMWEL (1588-0075) or the Ministry of Employment and Labor.

Step 1 — When you are hurt: treatment first

Whether it is the emergency room or a clinic, get treated first. One thing matters here: when you go in, tell the doctor plainly that this happened at work. Having "occurred at work" in the diagnosis or the medical record makes the work injury paperwork much simpler later.

Starting treatment on ordinary insurance at a regular hospital can make it harder to convert the case into a work injury claim afterwards.

Step 2 — Right after: write down what happened

Write it down while it is still fresh, not after treatment is over.

• When (date and time)
• Where (workplace, who was there)
• What you were doing
• How you got hurt

Take photos if you can, and note whether CCTV exists or whether a colleague witnessed it. This is the evidence-first recording method in practice — facts, not impressions.

Step 3 — Know the deadline

Your right to have an incident recognized as a work injury expires with time. Apply as soon as possible in principle.

Filing early is the rule. You can wait until treatment ends before applying, but the longer you wait, the harder the proof becomes.

Step 4 — Gather the documents

For a claim for medical benefits, you need:

1. Application for medical benefits (요양급여 청구서) — COMWEL form
2. Report of how the accident occurred — what you wrote in step 2
3. Doctor's diagnosis or medical opinion
4. Employer confirmation section — nice to have from the company, but you can file without it

You can download the form from the COMWEL website or ask at the work injury desk at the hospital.

Step 5 — If the employer won't do it: file it yourself

This is the step most often missed. Many workplaces handle the claim, but if the employer refuses or does nothing, you can file directly as the worker.

• No company stamp? → Submit directly to COMWEL
• The company says "don't report this as a work injury"? → You are not obliged to accept that demand
• If it feels risky → COMWEL accepts applications that state the facts, including "the employer is not cooperating"

A work injury claim is a worker's right, not a favor from the company.

Step 6 — During treatment: claim the suspension benefit

If you have to stop working to recover, claim the suspension pay (휴업급여), paid at a set share of your average wage for the days you are off. It is separate from the medical benefits.

• Long treatment? → You can claim part of it in the middle
• Slow to return to work? → Check how long the suspension benefit runs

Step 7 — After treatment: check the disability benefit

If treatment ends but an impairment remains, you can file separately for disability compensation (장해급여). Ending at "treatment concluded" means leaving an entitlement on the table.

Step 8 — If you disagree with the result: appeal

If the incident is not recognized, or you disagree with the result, there is a review and an administrative litigation route. The deadline runs from when you receive the notice, so check the date on the result document first.

The whole flow at a glance

Step	What to do	What tends to be missed
1	Get treated — say "this happened at work"	The context never makes it into the diagnosis
2	Record the facts — when, where, what	Written down after memory has faded
3	Check the deadline	"I can do it later"
4	Documents — application, report, diagnosis	Writing the report carelessly
5	File directly if the employer refuses	Giving up because of company pressure
6	Claim suspension pay during treatment	Claiming medical costs only
7	Check disability pay after treatment	Stopping at "treatment concluded"
8	Check the appeal deadline	Not reading the date on the result

If there is one step to do today, it is step 2: write one page about how it happened, in facts only. The application can be made later. That record cannot.