(KBS TV Report on the 2015 Government Employees Pension Overhaul, May 29, 2015) Government Employees Pension, Controversy Over 'Half-Reform' to Protect Vested Interests (Posted September 17, 2026)

Anchor Remarks

The Government Employees Pension amendment has been passed after many twists and turns, but some point out that it is a half-reform that falls short of the original goal.

Here is the report by Reporter Song Chang-eon.

Report

According to the Government Employees Pension amendment, the total reduction in government financial burden over the next 70 years is estimated at 333 trillion won.

While this is a reduction of 24 trillion won more compared to the savings under the bill proposed by the Saenuri Party, it is about 61 trillion won less than the proposal by Professor Kim Yong-ha, which the Saenuri Party had presented as the Maginot Line for a balance between contributions and benefits during negotiations.

The deficit subsidy, which is 10 billion won per day based on next year, will first decrease to 6 billion won, but it will increase back to the 10 billion won range in 2022.

Because of this, criticism is emerging that this is a six-year reform plan.

Recording Dr. Yun Suk-myung (Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs (KIHASA)): "If the rate is lowered by only 0.2 percentage points, as it was during the reform in 2009, additional reform will likely be inevitable within a few years."

The Saenuri Party originally stated that it would implement structural reform to integrate new civil servants into the National Pension, but it abandoned this due to opposition from the opposition party and civil servant organizations.

In the case of this amendment, for those appointed in 1996, the money received is about 2.5 times the money paid, but for new appointees next year, it is only about 1.5 times, meaning it is designed unfavorably for future civil servants.

Furthermore, criticism is emerging that the vested interests of existing civil servants were considered, as it was decided to gradually reduce the payment rate, which determines the pension amount, over a period of 20 years.

This has been Song Chang-eon, KBS News.

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