Presidential Office: "Pension Reform Is an Issue for Ruling and Opposition Parties to Decide Through Consultation" (Comprehensive)

President Yoon Suk-yeol is speaking at the 2nd Economic Issue Review Meeting held on the 23rd at the Yongsan Presidential Office building in Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

The Presidential Office reaffirmed its position that the pension reform issue is "a matter for the ruling and opposition parties to discuss in depth and decide upon." However, it stated that the claim by the Democratic Party of Korea that the Presidential Office rejected Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the Democratic Party, regarding his proposal for a bilateral meeting on pension reform is an inaccurate expression.

A senior official from the Presidential Office explained on the 24th, "The pension reform issue is fundamentally a matter for the ruling and opposition parties to discuss in depth and decide through the Special Committee on Pension Reform within the National Assembly," adding, "the government has so far provided abundant basic data necessary for discussions at the National Assembly level and has actively supported the discussions."

Earlier, Lee said, "If the government and the ruling party make a decision, the pension reform bill can be passed at the plenary session on the 28th," and "I am also willing to hold a summit meeting with the President regarding this issue." However, when the Presidential Office did not respond positively, the Democratic Party launched an offensive claiming that the Presidential Office had rejected the proposal.

Cheon Jun-ho, the chief secretary to the party leader, claimed on the same day, "I contacted Hong Cheol-ho, the Senior Secretary for Political Affairs, but Hong said that it is not appropriate for the President to talk with the ruling and opposition parties before the matter is finalized in the National Assembly. It was effectively a rejection of (Lee’s proposal)."

A Presidential Office official explained, "Since pension reform is an important task that must be prepared with a view to 70 years ahead, it is very important to fully listen to the opinions of stakeholders, including the younger generation, and to promote reform through in-depth discussions between the ruling and opposition parties, and ultimately, it is desirable to derive a reform plan that all citizens can empathize with and welcome."

The Presidential Office’s stance is interpreted as considering it inappropriate to resolve this issue through a summit meeting when the government has already provided all the necessary data for pension reform discussions to the National Assembly.

President Yoon also said at a press conference marking his second anniversary in office on the 9th, "We have submitted to the National Assembly not only actuarial statistics but also vast data, including the most important future population projections for pension estimates," adding, "However, with the 21st National Assembly nearing its end, it is more appropriate to hand over the matter to the 22nd National Assembly for more thorough discussions rather than rushing it now."