Article 6.2 establishes the procedure that SSA will follow in converting periods of coverage under the Korean system into equivalent periods under the U.S. system. Periods of coverage under the U.S. system are measured in terms of calendar quarters while Korean periods of coverage are measured in months. Beginning in 1978, U.S. quarters of coverage are based on the amount of a person's annual earnings (e.g., for 1999, $740 in earnings equals one quarter of coverage). Under Article 6.2, SSA will credit one quarter of coverage in a calendar year for every 3 months of coverage certified for that year by the Korean agency. (Article 5.3 provides a corresponding rule for converting U.S. quarters of coverage into Korean months of coverage when determining Korean benefit eligibility.) However, SSA will not credit months of coverage under Korean laws which fall within a calendar quarter which has already been credited as a U.S. quarter of coverage. In addition, SSA will not credit more than 4 quarters of coverage for any calendar year.
