Workbear재주넘는곰
대법원 99두5443

Revocation of Disposition to Recoup and Notify Refund of Retirement Pension Benefits퇴직급여환수금반납고지처분등취소

Decided2000. 11. 28. Court대법원Employer (Pension Authority) won
AI-generated English translation (summary, key points, decision summary and full text) for reference only — not an official translation and without legal effect. The Korean original below is authoritative.
AI Easy read — AI summary of this decision
AI-generated summary for reference only — the Korean original below is authoritative.

A former public official who was receiving a retirement pension (퇴직연금) under the Public Officials Pension Act was re-employed as a faculty member at a private school. The Supreme Court held that pension payments are automatically suspended during such re-employment, and any pension paid during that period constitutes an overpayment (과오급) subject to recoupment by the government. However, the recipient's failure to report the re-employment did not amount to fraudulent receipt of benefits.

Issues
  • Whether payment of a retirement pension must be suspended when the recipient is re-employed as a private school faculty member
  • Whether pension amounts overpaid during the suspension period can be recouped by the government
  • Whether failure to report re-employment constitutes fraudulent receipt of pension benefits
Key reasoning

Under the Public Officials Pension Act (공무원연금법), if a retirement pension recipient becomes re-employed at an institution covered by the Private School Teachers' Pension Act (사립학교교원연금법), payment of the pension is automatically suspended by operation of law for the duration of that employment. This suspension takes effect regardless of whether the recipient formally reports the change in employment status. Consequently, any pension amounts paid during the suspension period are not legally valid payments but overpayments, which the government is entitled to recover. Nevertheless, because the suspension arises automatically from the statute rather than from any reporting obligation, the recipient's failure to notify the authorities of the re-employment does not constitute fraudulent or improper receipt of benefits (부정수급).

Summary of Decision (English, AI translation)

[1] A person who retired from government service and was receiving a retirement pension under the Public Officials Pension Act (공무원연금법), if appointed as a school personnel member as prescribed by Article 3 of the former Private School Teachers' Pension Act (사립학교교원연금법, before its amendment by Act No. 6124 of January 12, 2000) and thus comes to receive salary from that institution, becomes subject to that Act regardless of whether an application for aggregation of periods of service has been made. During such period of service, pursuant to Article 47 of the Public Officials Pension Act and Article 40(1) of its Enforcement Decree, the payment of the retirement pension is automatically suspended from the time the cause therefor arises, regardless of whether the Public Officials Pension Service has issued a disposition suspending payment. Therefore, the retirement pension paid to the pension recipient during the period when grounds for suspension of payment existed constitutes a case of "erroneous or overpayment of other benefits" as provided in Article 31(1)(3) of the Public Officials Pension Act.

[2] Although a decision to recover a retirement pension is a disposition that imposes an obligation on the party concerned, since the amount to be recovered is determined as a matter of course under the relevant statutes, failing to give the party an opportunity to state its opinion prior to making the recovery decision does not violate Article 22(3) of the Administrative Procedures Act (행정절차법) or the principle of good faith.

[3] The phrase "where a benefit has been received by fraudulent means," as provided in Article 31(1)(1) of the Public Officials Pension Act, refers to a case where the person who received the benefit did so through active means while subjectively recognizing that it was an improper means to receive a benefit that could not otherwise be received. Merely neglecting the duty to report, while knowing that grounds for suspension of payment of the retirement pension had arisen, does not fall under this provision.

Full text (English, AI translation) 4,405 chars

[Plaintiff, Appellant and Appellee] Plaintiff (Attorney: Choi Sin-seok of Ilwon Law Firm, on behalf of the Plaintiff)
[Defendant, Appellant and Appellee] Government Employees Pension Corporation (공무원연금관리공단)
[Judgment Below] Seoul High Court Judgment 98Nu14619, dated April 7, 1999

[Order]

All appeals are dismissed. The costs of the appeals shall be borne by each appellant respectively.

[Reasoning]

1. Determination on the Plaintiff's appeal

Where a person who served as a public official and retired, and who has been receiving a retirement pension pursuant to the Public Officials Pension Act (공무원연금법), is appointed as a school employee as defined in Article 3 of the former Private School Teachers' Pension Act (사립학교교원연금법) (before its amendment by Act No. 6124 of January 12, 2000) and thereby receives salary from that institution, such person becomes subject to the application of that Act regardless of whether an application has been made to combine periods of service. During such period of employment, pursuant to Article 47 of the Public Officials Pension Act and Article 40(1) of the Enforcement Decree of the same Act, the payment of the retirement pension is naturally suspended from the time the relevant cause arises, regardless of whether the Government Employees Pension Corporation has issued a payment suspension disposition. Therefore, the retirement pension paid to the recipient during the period when the cause for suspension of payment existed constitutes a case of "erroneous or excessive payment of other benefits" as provided in Article 31(1)(3) of the Public Officials Pension Act.

The court below, in the same vein, determined that: the Plaintiff, who had served as a public official and retired on March 20, 1990, had been receiving a retirement pension from the Defendant; that on March 1, 1995, the Plaintiff was appointed as the president of △△ College, operated by ○○ Educational Foundation, a private school institution as defined in Article 3 of the Private School Teachers' Pension Act, and thereby began receiving salary from the said educational foundation, giving rise to a cause for suspension of payment of the retirement pension; that nevertheless, the Defendant, unaware of these circumstances, continued to pay the retirement pension to the Plaintiff, which constitutes "erroneous or excessive payment of other benefits" under Article 31(1)(3) of the Public Officials Pension Act; and that accordingly, the disposition in this case, whereby the Defendant ordered the Plaintiff to return the retirement pension received after the date on which the cause for suspension of payment arose, is lawful. This determination by the court below is justified, and there is no error of misapprehension of the relevant legal principles as alleged in the grounds of appeal. Accordingly, this ground of appeal is not accepted.

Although a decision to recover a retirement pension is a disposition that imposes an obligation on the party concerned, since the amount to be recovered is naturally determined pursuant to the relevant statutes, failing to give the party an opportunity to state its opinion prior to making the decision to recover the retirement pension does not violate Article 22(3) of the Administrative Procedures Act (행정절차법) or the principle of good faith. Accordingly, this ground of appeal is also not accepted.

2. Determination on the Defendant's appeal

The court below determined that the phrase "where benefits are received by fraudulent means" as provided in Article 31(1)(1) of the Public Officials Pension Act refers to a case where the recipient of the benefits, while subjectively aware that the means used were fraudulent, actively received benefits that could not otherwise be received, and that merely neglecting the duty to report while being aware that a cause for suspension of payment of the retirement pension had arisen does not fall under this provision. Upon examination, this determination by the court below is also justified, and there is no error of misapprehension of the relevant legal principles as alleged in the grounds of appeal. Accordingly, this ground of appeal is likewise not accepted.

3. Therefore, all appeals are dismissed, and the costs of litigation are to be borne as set forth in the Order, and it is so decided.

Justice Bae Gi-won (Presiding Justice), Seo Seong (Justice in Charge), Yu Ji-dam, Park Jae-yun

【판결요지】

[1] 공무원으로 재직하다가 퇴직하여 공무원연금법에 따라 퇴직연금을 지급받고 있던 사람이 구 사립학교교원연금법(2000. 1. 12. 법률 제6124호로 개정되기 전의 것) 제3조가 정한 교직원으로 임용되어 그 기관으로부터 급여를 받게 되는 경우에는 재직기간 합산신청 여부와는 관련 없이 그 법의 적용을 받게 되고, 그 재직기간 중에는 공무원연금법 제47조, 같은법시행령 제40조 제1항에 의하여 공무원연금관리공단의 지급정지처분 여부에 관계없이 그 사유가 발생한 때로부터 당연히 퇴직연금의 지급이 정지되는 것이므로, 그 지급정지 사유기간 중 퇴직연금 수급자에게 지급된 퇴직연금은 공무원연금법 제31조 제1항 제3호에 정하여진 '기타 급여가 과오급된 경우'에 해당한다.

[2] 퇴직연금의 환수결정은 당사자에게 의무를 과하는 처분이기는 하나, 관련 법령에 따라 당연히 환수금액이 정하여지는 것이므로, 퇴직연금의 환수결정에 앞서 당사자에게 의견진술의 기회를 주지 아니하여도 행정절차법 제22조 제3항이나 신의칙에 어긋나지 아니한다.

[3] 공무원연금법 제31조 제1항 제1호에 정하여진 '부정한 방법으로 급여를 받은 경우'라 함은 급여를 받은 사람이 주관적으로 부정한 수단임을 인식하면서 적극적인 방법으로 받을 수 없는 급여를 받은 경우를 말하는 것이고, 퇴직연금의 지급정지 사유가 생긴 것임을 알면서도 그 신고의무를 태만히 한 것은 이에 해당하지 않는다.

【참조조문】

[1] 공무원연금법 제3조 제3호, 제31조 제1항 제3호, 제47조, 공무원연금법시행령 제40조 제1항, 구 사립학교교원연금법(2000. 1. 12. 법률 제6124호로 개정되기 전의 것) 제3조

[2] 공무원연금법 제3조 제3호, 제31조 제1항 제3호, 제47조, 공무원연금법시행령 제26조, 제40조 제1항, 구 사립학교교원연금법(2000. 1. 12. 법률 제6124호로 개정되기 전의 것) 제3조, 행정절차법 제22조 제3항, 행정소송법 제1조[행정처분일반]

[3] 공무원연금법 제3조 제3호, 제31조 제1항 제1호, 제47조, 공무원연금법시행령 제26조, 제40조 제1항, 구 사립학교교원연금법(2000. 1. 12. 법률 제6124호로 개정되기 전의 것) 제3조

【참조판례】

[1] 대법원 2000. 11. 10. 선고 99두10414 판결 / [2] 헌법재판소 2000. 6. 29. 선고 98헌바106 전원재판부 결정(헌공47, 576) / [3] 대법원 1995. 9. 29. 선고 95누7529 판결(공1995하, 3636)

【주문】·【이유】 전문 1,503자 · 펼쳐 보기

【원고, 상고인 겸 피상고인】 원고 (소송대리인 법무법인 일원 담당변호사 최신석)

【피고, 상고인 겸 피상고인】 공무원연금관리공단

【원심판결】 서울고법 1999. 4. 7. 선고 98누14619 판결

【주 문】

상고를 모두 기각한다. 상고비용은 상고인 각자의 부담으로 한다.

【이 유】 1. 원고의 상고에 대한 판단

공무원으로 재직하다가 퇴직하여 공무원연금법에 따라 퇴직연금을 지급받고 있던 사람이 구 사립학교교원연금법(2000. 1. 12. 법률 제6124호로 개정되기 전의 것) 제3조가 정한 교직원으로 임용되어 그 기관으로부터 급여를 받게 되는 경우에는 재직기간 합산신청 여부와는 관련 없이 그 법의 적용을 받게 되고, 그 재직기간 중에는 공무원연금법 제47조, 같은법시행령 제40조 제1항에 의하여 공무원연금관리공단의 지급정지처분 여부에 관계없이 그 사유가 발생한 때로부터 당연히 퇴직연금의 지급이 정지되는 것이므로, 그 지급정지 사유기간 중 퇴직연금 수급자에게 지급된 퇴직연금은 공무원연금법 제31조 제1항 제3호에 정하여진 '기타 급여가 과오급된 경우'에 해당한다.

원심이 같은 취지에서, 원고가 공무원으로 재직하다 1990. 3. 20. 퇴직하여 피고로부터 퇴직연금을 수령하여 오던 중 1995. 3. 1. 위 사립학교교원연금법 제3조가 정한 사립학교기관인 학교법인 ○○학원이 운영하는 △△전문대학의 학장으로 임용되어 위 학교법인으로부터 급여를 수령함으로써 퇴직연금의 지급정지 사유가 발생하였음에도, 피고가 이러한 사정을 알지 못한 채 원고에게 계속하여 퇴직연금을 지급한 것은 공무원연금법 제31조 제1항 제3호의 '기타 급여가 과오급된 경우'에 해당하는 것이므로, 피고가 원고에게 그 지급정지 사유가 발생한 날 이후 수령한 퇴직연금의 반환을 명한 이 사건 처분이 적법하다고 판단한 것은 정당하고, 거기에 상고이유의 주장과 같은 법리오해의 위법이 없다. 따라서 이 점에 관한 상고이유는 받아들이지 아니한다.

퇴직연금의 환수결정은 당사자에게 의무를 과하는 처분이기는 하나, 관련 법령에 따라 당연히 환수금액이 정하여지는 것이므로, 퇴직연금의 환수결정에 앞서 당사자에게 의견진술의 기회를 주지 아니하여도 행정절차법 제22조 제3항이나 신의칙에 어긋나지 아니한다. 따라서 이 점에 관한 상고이유도 받아들이지 아니한다.

2. 피고의 상고에 대한 판단

원심은 공무원연금법 제31조 제1항 제1호에 정하여진 '부정한 방법으로 급여를 받은 경우'라 함은 급여를 받은 사람이 주관적으로 부정한 수단임을 인식하면서 적극적인 방법으로 받을 수 없는 급여를 받은 경우를 말하는 것이고, 퇴직연금의 지급정지 사유가 생긴 것임을 알면서도 그 신고의무를 태만히 한 것은 이에 해당하지 않는다고 판단하였는바, 살펴보니 이러한 원심의 판단도 정당하고, 거기에 상고이유의 주장과 같은 법리오해의 위법이 없다. 따라서 이 상고이유 역시 받아들이지 아니한다.

3. 그러므로 상고를 모두 기각하고, 소송비용의 부담을 정하여 주문과 같이 판결한다.

대법관 배기원(재판장) 서성(주심) 유지담 박재윤

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