Elderly Free Ride 'Oh Se-hoon vs. Chu Kyung-ho'... Senior Citizens Association Supports Oh Se-hoon

"Subway Line 1 Operates to Cheonan, Supports National Railway Function, Government Support Justified"

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jong-hwa] As the issue of free subway rides for the elderly has emerged as a social and political controversy, the verbal sparring between Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Choo Kyung-ho continues outside the official arena.

On the 16th, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon attended the "Policy Debate on Free Transportation for the Elderly" held at the National Assembly Members' Office Building, hosted by the Korea Senior Citizens Association, and stated, "If the current generation postpones responsibility, unbearable burdens will increase for the youth and future generations," adding, "As our country rapidly enters an aged society and the deficit grows, a fundamental reconsideration of the free transportation system is necessary."

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon.
Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Mayor Oh also said, "When the government introduced the free urban railway transportation system in 1984, the population ratio of those aged 65 and over in Seoul was 3.8%, but now it accounts for 17.4%," and requested support from the central government.

Since 2020, Mayor Oh has been demanding compensation from the government for losses incurred from free rides. At a New Year's press conference held on the 30th of last month, he reiterated pressure, saying, "If the government supports the losses from free subway rides for those aged 65 and over, the increase in public transportation fares (300 to 400 won) can be reduced."

On the 8th, Mayor Oh also visited the National Assembly's Planning and Finance Committee to seek cooperation. Article 25 of the Elderly Welfare Act stipulates that transportation facility fees can be discounted for those aged 65 and over, and Article 19 of the enforcement decree specifies a 100% discount rate for urban railways, prompting him to appeal for the need to amend the law.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Choo Kyung-ho.
[Photo by Asia Economy DB]

In this regard, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Choo Kyung-ho repeatedly expressed a negative stance during the government questioning session at the National Assembly on the 7th, stating, "It does not make sense for the central government to borrow money to support local governments that are financially sound."

Deputy Prime Minister Choo said, "Seoul Urban Railway is operated by Seoul City. It is fundamentally a local government matter," adding, "The local government should be responsible for the budget and operation," and drew a line by saying, "Therefore, whether to provide free use of such public facilities is entirely at the discretion of the local government according to the Elderly Welfare Act."

Minister Choo also added, "Seoul City's fiscal independence rate exceeds 80%, indicating excellent fiscal soundness," and "Jeonnam and Gyeongbuk, which have fiscal independence rates below 30%, make it unreasonable from an equity perspective."

Kim Ho-il, President of the Korea Senior Citizens Association. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

However, the Korea Senior Citizens Association sympathized with Mayor Oh's position that central government support is necessary. Kim Ho-il, president of the Korea Senior Citizens Association, said, "All citizens eventually become elderly. This is not just an issue for the elderly but a welfare issue for all citizens," and countered, "When free subway rides were implemented, the per capita national income was $2,340, but now it is about $35,000. Rather than expanding benefits, taking away existing benefits is regressive and pushes the elderly into a desperate situation."

However, President Kim said, "It is desirable for the government to provide funds for urban railways," and supported Mayor Oh by saying, "The government claims to support only the national railway, but since Seoul Subway Line 1 runs through Gyeonggi Province to Cheonan in Chungnam, all lines operate up to Gyeonggi Province, thereby supplementing the function of the national railway, so joint support is reasonable."

Meanwhile, among South Korea's population of 51 million, those aged 65 and over exceed 18%. According to Statistics Korea, the population aged 65 and over is expected to reach 30% of the total population by 2035 and 40% by 2050. As of last year, 3.7 million elderly people in the metropolitan area took over 233 million free subway rides.