Korea's Smart Safety Equipment Subsidy in 2026: What to Check Before Applying
Industry Operations Note special edition: the smart safety equipment subsidy
Korea's smart safety equipment subsidy is open again in 2026 on a rolling basis. It covers up to 80% of the agency-assessed cost, capped at KRW 30 million per workplace, and each regional office closes applications once its funds run out. If the program is on your list, filing early is the practical move.
This guide was written against the notices and Ministry of Employment and Labor announcements public as of July 13, 2026. The annual notice text governs eligibility and covered items. Always check the current notice before applying.
Illustrative smart-safety equipment. The device shown does not represent a specific product or a confirmed subsidy-eligible item.
Officially, the Safe Workplace Support program
The program launched in 2023 with a KRW 25 billion budget across 14 covered item types (MOEL press release), and the 2026 budget grew to KRW 37 billion (policy briefing). Its job is to lower the equipment cost barrier for small workplaces.
Eligibility and amounts
- Eligibility: workplaces with fewer than 50 regular workers, enrolled in industrial accident insurance with no unpaid premiums. At 50 or more, small-enterprise certification applies.
- Base support: up to 80% of the agency-assessed amount, capped at KRW 30 million per workplace.
- Add-ons: workplaces with employment growth or certified risk assessments can qualify for a higher ceiling. The notice text lists the items and amounts.
- Applications: through the Clean Workplace portal, rolling from January 2, 2026 until each regional office's funds run out.
Bigger ceilings quoted in some roundups combine the base with the add-ons. The base cap is KRW 30 million; anything above it depends on meeting those conditions.
What it buys, and what it does not
Covered items center on worker-protection equipment such as AI human-detection systems and forklift collision-prevention devices. There is no confirmed basis for machine-condition diagnostic equipment being covered, so do not assume this subsidy funds equipment diagnostics.
Equipment health lives on a different track. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups' 2026 smart-manufacturing consolidated notice explicitly lists predictive maintenance in the AI-track smart factory program (MSS notice; applications via smart-factory.kr). Continuous equipment monitoring built on sound, vibration, and environmental signals, such as XyloZero, is the kind of tooling that track covers. The two programs serve different goals, so review worker-protection equipment and equipment diagnostics each on its own track.
Construction sites get one more change worth noting: from 2026, smart safety equipment purchase and rental costs are recognized at 100% within the statutory occupational safety and health management budget. Check the current ministry notice for caps and details.
Before you file
- Confirm industrial accident insurance enrollment and premium status.
- Match the equipment you plan to buy against the covered-item list in this year's notice.
- Support is based on the agency-assessed amount, so estimate the gap against your quote in advance.
- Check whether the add-on conditions (employment growth, certified risk assessment) apply to you.
- The window closes when funds run out, so have documents ready before you need them.
The structure is simple: workplaces under 50 workers, worker-protection equipment, up to 80% of the assessed amount within a KRW 30 million cap, applications open while funds last. Equipment diagnostics and predictive maintenance belong to the separate smart-factory track. The notice text is available at the Clean Workplace portal and in the KOSHA notice.
Note 2 of 6, Condition-Based Maintenance: Define the Decision Before Choosing Sensors, covers how to decide on equipment diagnostics.