There are numerous difficult issues such as welfare spending and poverty among the elderly.
Experts worry, “There are no concrete measures in sight”
The proportion of people aged 65 or older in Korea’s total population exceeded 20% for the first time. We have entered a ‘super-aging society’ where one in five people are elderly. After reaching an aging society in 2000 and an aged society in 2017, Korea became a super-aged society seven years later. If the population dependent on welfare and pensions increases so quickly, it will be difficult for the national finances to sustain. If the working-age population decreases, economic vitality will decline and growth will inevitably slow down. Moreover, Korea’s elderly poverty rate is the highest among member countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The impact that rapid aging will have on society as a whole will be beyond imagination.
The problem is that the aging rate is the fastest in the world. Compared to Japan’s transition from an aged society to a super-aged society in 10 years, Germany’s 36 years, and France’s 39 years, you can see how fast Korea has gone. The National Statistical Office said in September last year that Korea would enter a super-aging society sometime next year, but it has arrived sooner than the government expected. I am concerned that the pace of aging will accelerate as 9.54 million people from the second baby boom generation (born between 1964 and 1974) will soon become seniors. Joo Hyeong-hwan, vice chairman of the Low Birth Rate and Aging Society Committee, said, “If the current trend continues, the proportion of the elderly population will be 37.3% in 2045, making it the world’s oldest country.”
Despite the situation, the government’s response is extremely frustrating. President Yoon Seok-yeol has continuously emphasized four major reforms, including pensions, medical care, labor, and education, but has not achieved any significant results. The single plan for pension reform announced by the Ministry of Health and Welfare in early September included a plan to strengthen retirement income security using not only the national pension, but also retirement pension and personal pension. However, discussion in the National Assembly has stalled. Medical reform could not take a single step forward due to strong resistance from the medical community. At the Economic, Social and Labor Committee, issues such as extending the retirement age, continued employment, and raising the elderly age standard were being discussed, but this was halted due to the martial law situation on December 3. The launch of the Population Strategy Planning Department (Ministry of Population), which was scheduled for the first half of next year, is also in vain.
No matter how chaotic the situation is due to martial law and impeachment, national tasks cannot be neglected. Experts are concerned that “if we do not redesign the labor, welfare, and medical systems, we will face a national disaster,” and that “no concrete measures are in sight.” It is time for the government to do what it can. More fundamental and systematic measures should be taken, such as through the establishment of a population department. Since there is no disagreement about preparing for a super-aging society, the opposition party must also cooperate on a bipartisan basis.
(ⓒ Segye Ilbo & Segye.com, unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited)
Source: www.segye.com
