기초연금 ‘하후상박’으로 개편 진통…정은경 브리핑 돌연 취소

The government is transitioning toward a "hoho changbak" approach, paying basic pension to the elderly, starting next year by raising the standard threshold to 90% of median household income and gradually reducing the beneficiary population to 80% by 2030. The Ministry of Health and Welfare's Secretary-General, 정은경, had planned to brief on these reforms but cancelled it just an hour before the scheduled time, indicating a last-minute setback.

According to the latest government statement, discussions on the basic pension reform are ongoing, and the government is committed to increasing pension payments for the elderly through the "hoho changbak" method. This involves eliminating the current system of paying pension to those in the bottom 70% of income and adjusting the selection criteria based on the median household income.

The new threshold will be 90% of median household income in the upcoming year, dropping to 86.6% in 2028, 83.3% in 2029, and 80% in 2030. The current selection criterion stands at 96.3% of median household income, meaning a decline in the number of beneficiaries is anticipated. The government also plans to adjust pension payments based on income levels.

For instance, those with incomes below the median will receive ₩380,000 per month in 2024, rising to ₩400,000 in 2028, and ₩359,000 and ₩367,000 for those within the 20-40% income bracket, respectively. Those with incomes above 40% will have their pensions frozen at ₩350,000. The current basic pension is ₩34,997 per month for those in the bottom 70% of income.

However, the scheduled briefing on the basic pension reform was abruptly canceled, signaling potential changes to the reform. The Ministry of Health and Welfare stated that the briefing was canceled due to incomplete final decisions on certain aspects of the pension reform. Experts warn that changing the selection method to median household income could lead to fluctuations in the number of beneficiaries each year, potentially increasing the number of people who become ineligible for the pension.

This could lead to dissatisfaction and negative public opinion among the elderly. Civil society groups have also highlighted the need to address the issue of increased costs for the elderly as basic pension payments rise.