•If you cannot afford the premiums you can apply for exemption or deferral. Neither counts as non-payment and both count toward the qualifying period — but they differ in how they affect your future pension: a fully exempted period counts as half of a fully paid one (the tax-funded portion), while a deferred period does not count toward the pension amount at all (deferral is for ages 20 to 49)
•Unpaid National Pension periods reduce your future pension entitlement — pay when possible or use the exemption system
•If your spouse is a company employee, you may be able to enroll as a dependent (Class 3) and pay no premium
•Consider whether iDeCo or the National Pension Fund may be beneficial during this period