English

Appeals against administrative dispositions

Preparation of documents for objection to disability degree determination and administrative appeals

When you apply for disability registration, the National Pension Service reviews the degree of disability, and the result is 'severe disability', 'non-severe disability' or 'not applicable'; if the treatment period in the assessment criteria has not been completed or documents are insufficient, the notice may instead say 'decision deferred' or 'unable to confirm'. If you disagree with the result, you may file an objection within 90 days from the date you receive the notice, and you may also file an administrative appeal. Whether to apply again with a new medical certificate or to dispute the existing decision is decided after looking at the reason for refusal.

Written by Hwang Yunsang, Administrative Agent · Published 2026-09-24 · Updated 2026-10-30

Procedure

Procedure type
  • Appeal Difficulty High

    Submitting an opinion, objection or administrative appeal against a disposition or decision already made, or applying for damage relief or dispute mediation. The reviewing body decides after examining the facts and the law, so preparing supporting evidence is important.

We will prepare an appeal form and an administrative appeal request form regarding the determination of the degree of disability. We will review prior appeal records and medical evidence to determine the actual process to be followed.

Scope & fee
Objection application
We will determine the degree of disability of 1 applicant and review the provided diagnosis, examination, and living function data and prepare an objection form. The diagnosis/test itself and the subsequent administrative review are separate. Scope of writing: 1 type of objection, 5 pages per type. It does not include in-office submissions.
Disability-degree decision administrative appeal only
We will review the existing objection record and the provided evidence for 1 case of disability, and prepare an administrative appeal request form. It does not include new appeal forms, diagnosis, or tests. Scope of writing: Reasons for requesting administrative appeal for determining degree of disability, 1 type, 5 pages per type. It does not include in-office submissions.
Official fee source ↗
Include administrative appeal as well
We will prepare an objection and subsequent administrative appeal documents for 1 disability case to the extent that we actually proceed together. We will share existing common evidence and further review results and new data. Scope of writing: Reasons for objecting to degree of disability (1 type, 5 pages per type), Reasons for requesting subsequent administrative appeal (1 type, 5 pages per type). It does not include in-office submissions.
Official fee source ↗

  1. 1. Check the reason for refusal in the decision notice

    First distinguish whether the reason stated in the notice is a lack of diagnostic materials or a difference in interpretation of the guidelines and statutes. If the materials were insufficient, supplementing them and applying again may be faster; if it is a difference in interpretation, disputing the decision through an objection or an administrative appeal is the right course.

  2. 2. Strengthen the supporting evidence

    In addition to the specialist's written opinion and test results, gather materials that show functional impairment in daily life. For developmental disabilities, special education class history, school records and a teacher's written opinion are helpful, and if test scores came out low because the person could not cooperate with testing, explain that circumstance with such materials as well.

  3. 3. Submit the written objection

    Submit the written objection to the eup, myeon or dong community service center or the city, county or district (si/gun/gu) office for your address within 90 days from the date you receive the decision notice. If you submit your opinion and supporting materials together, the National Pension Service reviews the case again.

  4. 4. File an administrative appeal

    If you also disagree with the result of the objection, file an administrative appeal within 90 days from the date you are notified of the result; to dispute the decision directly without an objection, file within 90 days from the date you became aware of the disposition and within 180 days from the date of the disposition. If you do not accept the result of the administrative appeal, you may file an administrative lawsuit within 90 days from the date you receive the written ruling.

Required documents

Fees

Administrative service fee
  • Objection application from KRW 600,000
  • Disability-degree decision administrative appeal only from KRW 600,000
  • Include administrative appeal as well from KRW 1,000,000
All administrative service fees exclude 10% VAT.

According to the Government24 civil petition guide, there is no fee for a disability registration application. Support for diagnosis certificate and test costs for low-income persons with disabilities covers recipients of basic livelihood security for new registrations, and recipients of basic livelihood security and the near-poverty group for re-assessments; the support limit for the diagnosis certificate is 40,000 won for intellectual, autistic and mental disabilities and 15,000 won for other disabilities, and test costs are covered at actual cost up to 100,000 won. Applications for adjustment of the degree of disability and objections are excluded from this support. Our office fee starts from the amount shown above and may vary depending on the volume of materials and the issues; we will give you an exact quote after reviewing your documents.

See fees and official charges for this service →

Legal basis and review date

  • Act on Welfare of Persons with Disabilities, Article 32
  • Act on Welfare of Persons with Disabilities, Article 84
  • Enforcement Rule of the Act on Welfare of Persons with Disabilities, Article 2
  • Enforcement Rule of the Act on Welfare of Persons with Disabilities, Article 3
  • Administrative Appeals Act, Article 27
  • Administrative Litigation Act, Article 20
  • Regulations on Review of the Degree of Disability (Ministry of Health and Welfare Notice No. 2025-29), Article 9
  • Regulations on Review of the Degree of Disability, Article 10
  • Regulations on Review of the Degree of Disability, Article 12
  • Regulations on Review of the Degree of Disability, Article 13
  • Regulations on Review of the Degree of Disability, Article 14
  • Enforcement Decree of the Act on Welfare of Persons with Disabilities, Article 20-3
  • Framework Act on Administrative Affairs, Article 36
  • Administrative Appeals Act, Article 6

Checked against the statutes on

Statutes and public notices change, so each case needs to be checked individually. Statute titles are given in English for reference. The Korean statutes are the authoritative text.

Check these first

  • An objection must be filed within 90 days from the date you receive the decision notice, and an administrative appeal within 90 days from the date you became aware of the disposition.
  • Before supplementing the medical certificate, first check whether the reason for refusal is a problem of materials or a problem of interpretation.

Frequently asked questions

How can I dispute a refusal of disability registration?
You may file an objection within 90 days from the date you receive the decision notice, and you may also file an administrative appeal. The deadline for an administrative appeal is within 90 days from the date you became aware of the disposition and within 180 days from the date of the disposition.
Do I have to file an objection before I can file an administrative appeal?
No. Many people file an administrative appeal after going through an objection, but an administrative appeal can also be pursued separately from an objection. The deadline for each must be checked separately.
What is the difference between re-application and an objection?
Re-application means applying for registration again from the beginning with a new medical certificate and other materials, while an objection disputes the decision already made as being wrong. In many cases re-application fits where the reason for refusal is a lack of materials, and an objection or an administrative appeal fits where it is a difference in interpretation.
Who reviews the degree of disability?
The National Pension Service conducts the review. As a rule it is a document review based on the submitted documents, and in principle 2 or more advisory doctors take part in the review. Since the abolition of the disability grading system in 2019, the determination has been made in two levels, 'severe disability' and 'non-severe disability'.
Can a 'not applicable' decision for autistic disorder also be disputed in an administrative appeal?
Yes. A decision on the degree of disability is also a disposition subject to administrative appeal, so file within 90 days from the date you became aware of the disposition, or, if you filed an objection, within 90 days from the date you are notified of the result. Results differ from case to case, so the judgment is made after looking at the reason for refusal together with the intelligence test and functional assessment materials.

Other guides in this area

Contact us

Hwang Yunsang Administrative Office in Songdo, Incheon prepares and submits administrative documents and explains the procedure. If your situation is similar, send us a message.

📞 Call 010-3374-2687 KakaoTalk Book a free 1-hour consultation WhatsApp ✍️ Request a consultation for this service
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📍 2697, 26F POSCO Tower-Songdo, 165 Convensia-daero, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, Republic of Korea · 📞 010-3374-2687 · 🌐 hwangadmin.com

This guide is general information based on public sources. Requirements, documents and deadlines differ by case and by the competent agency, so please confirm them before you proceed.