[Open World] "The Grapes of Wrath" and the Path to Strengthening Public Pensions / Yun Seok-myeong, Research Fellow, Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs (2015)

The figure of "an average National Pension contribution period of 25 years" means that our society officially recognizes 25 years as the economically active period of a lifetime.

If, even around 2050—when average life expectancy is projected to reach approximately 90 years—the average economically active period remains a mere 25 years, this means that the remaining 65 years must be sustained by someone else's support.

If such a situation were to materialize, the question would no longer be one of pensions alone—the very survival of the Republic of Korea would be threatened.

This is because of the enormous social cost of dependency.

Under such circumstances, the most urgent task is to reform the relevant institutional frameworks so that, as lifespans extend, so too does the period of economic activity, thereby enabling a longer period of pension contribution.

https://m.seoul.co.kr/news/editOpinion/world-stories/2015/10/30/20151030030012