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Photo courtesy of Meritz Fire & Marine Insurance |
[Alpha Biz= Paul Lee] SEOUL, November 9, 2025 — The Korea Consumer Agency (KCA) has reported that the vast majority of consumer disputes involving non-life insurance in South Korea arise from disagreements over insurance claim payments, highlighting the need for policyholders to exercise greater caution when filing claims.
According to KCA data, a total of 2,459 consumer dispute cases related to non-life insurance were filed between 2022 and the first half of 2025, averaging about 700 cases per year.
Of these, 2,165 cases (88%) involved disputes over claim payments, nearly reaching 90%. The share has steadily increased from 87.2% in 2022 to 90% in the first half of 2025.
Middle-aged Consumers Most Affected
Disputes were heavily concentrated among consumers in their 40s to 60s, accounting for 1,829 cases (74.4%), with those in their 50s representing the largest single age group (716 cases, or 29.1%).
Medical and Health Insurance Dominate Complaints
By policy type, indemnity medical insurance accounted for 1,034 cases (42%), followed by health insurance with 874 cases (35.5%).
Combined, medical and diagnostic-related policies made up 77.5% of all disputes.
Key Causes of Disputes
Non-payment of insurance claims: 1,579 cases (64.2%)
Disagreement over claim amount: 501 cases (20.4%)
Violation of disclosure obligations: 160 cases (6.5%)
Disputes over injury or disability grading: 85 cases (3.4%)
Only 28.1% (690 cases) of all dispute cases were resolved through mutual agreement, according to KCA.
Top Insurers by Complaint Volume
Among insurers, Meritz Fire & Marine Insurance received the highest number of consumer dispute cases (465), followed by Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance (452) and DB Insurance (359).
When adjusted for contract volume, Heungkuk Fire & Marine Insurance ranked highest, with 44.3 complaints per one million policies.
The KCA urged consumers to review contract terms carefully before purchasing or renewing policies and to maintain detailed medical and expense records when filing claims to avoid unnecessary conflicts.
“The steady increase in claim-related disputes suggests a growing gap between policyholder expectations and insurer claim practices,” a KCA official said. “More transparency and fair claims handling are needed to rebuild consumer trust in the insurance sector.”
Alphabiz Reporter Paul Lee(hoondork1977@alphabiz.co.kr)
