Checking a Deceased Relative's Assets and Debts at Once: The Inheritance One-Stop Service Runs One Year From the End of the Month of Death, With Results in 7 and 20 Days
After a family member dies, one set of questions arrives right after the funeral. Where are the bank accounts, insurance, land and cars, and how much is left? Are there any debts to repay? Korea has a service that asks all of this at once instead of making you visit each institution: the Peace-of-Mind Inheritance One-Stop Service. Based on guidance from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and Government24, this guide covers the application deadline, who may apply and how the results arrive.
The deadline is one year from the end of the month of death
The reference date is not the day of death but the last day of the month in which the death occurred. If someone died on October 3, the one year is counted from October 31.
After that, you can no longer apply through the one-stop service and must ask each financial institution and agency separately. A one-year window does not mean you can relax, though, because the deadline for renouncing an inheritance, explained below, comes much sooner.
Who can apply, and where
In-person applications are accepted at any city or district office or community service center in the country. You no longer have to go to the office covering the deceased person's address.
Eligibility depends on the order of heirs. First in line are children and the spouse, second are parents and the spouse, and siblings are third when there is no first or second heir. Substitute heirs, estate administrators and adult guardians can also apply.
The online route (Government24) is narrower. It is mainly for first-order heirs, and second-order heirs can use it only when there is no first-order heir at all. If the case moved to second-order heirs because a first-order heir renounced the inheritance, only in-person applications are possible.
What gets looked up in one go
Financial transactions cover deposits, loans, insurance and securities. The same request also returns land and buildings, vehicles (including motorcycles and construction equipment), fishing boats, national and local tax records, pension enrollment, the four social insurance premiums and mutual-aid association membership.
Some things are left out. Debts between private individuals cannot be found this way. For a loan with no written agreement, look for clues in phone records and bank transaction histories.
If the deceased held insurance with money still unpaid, see our article on unclaimed insurance money that stops earning interest for the claim order.
How to apply online
Go to Government24 and verify your identity with a certificate or similar method. Fill in the application, request issuance of the family relation certificate as the required document, and pay the fee.
Even an online application ends at the community service center. It is checked and accepted at the receiving desk, and the process is complete once you print the receipt. If you apply at the same community service center on the day you report the death, it all gets done in one trip.
What to prepare before applying
You will usually need the applicant's ID, the deceased person's name and resident registration number, and a family relation certificate showing how you are related. Check the exact documents with the receiving desk first. It also helps to know which order of heir you are before you reach the counter.
Results arrive by text or mail, so write your contact details accurately. If there are several siblings, decide in advance who applies and receives the results, then share what comes back to avoid disputes later.
If you are unsure, call the Government24 call center or the local community service center and ask which documents to bring. That avoids a wasted trip.
Results come back on a 7-day and a 20-day track
Each agency works at its own speed. Land, buildings, local taxes, fishing boats and vehicles are reported within 7 days, and you can choose to receive them by mail, text or in-person pickup.
Financial institutions, national tax, pensions, social insurance premiums and mutual-aid associations take up to 20 days, and each agency notifies you by text.
Keep in mind that the financial results are the slow ones. For nearly a month after applying, you may not know the size of the debts. If something has to be decided in that window, plan your timing.
What this service does not do
The lookup only provides information. The Ministry's explanation states that it does not affect your legal rights to accept or renounce the inheritance.
Applying does not mean you have accepted the inheritance, and not applying does not mean you have renounced it. The heirs must make that decision separately.
Deadlines that come sooner, and the order of steps
Under the Civil Code, renouncing an inheritance or accepting it with limited liability must be done at the family court within 3 months of learning that the inheritance began. Inheritance tax filing is generally due 6 months from the end of the month of death. Both come before the one-year lookup window, so if you want to decide after seeing the results, apply early. Confirm the specific deadlines with the court and the National Tax Service.
The order: 1) apply at the community service center when you report the death, 2) check results after 7 and 20 days, 3) check separately for debts between individuals, 4) decide within 3 months whether to accept, accept with limits or renounce. To see whether a loan was taken out in the deceased person's name, our guide to checking for a loan in your name and blocking new ones may help, and forgotten refunds are covered in how to check unclaimed refunds.
Questions can go to the Government24 call center at 1588-2188 or the Ministry of the Interior and Safety at 02-2100-3399. This is general information and does not replace legal advice on an individual inheritance case.
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