Oh Se-hoon, on Proposal to Raise Elderly Age to 75, "Will Gather Wisdom"

Facebook Post on the 23rd
"Aging Population Progressing, Unmanageable Level
We Must Think Together and Seek Solutions"

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon responded to the proposal to raise the senior citizen age from 65 to 75 by saying, "Seoul City will also gather wisdom."

On the afternoon of the 23rd, Mayor Oh mentioned the proposal by Lee Jung-geun, the newly appointed president of the Korea Senior Citizens Association, on Facebook, stating, "At a time when a sustainable and manageable social welfare structure is urgently needed, the senior generation has taken the lead in presenting a new path. This proposal is an opportunity for us to think together and seek solutions. Seoul City will also gather wisdom to take steps toward a better future."

On the 15th, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon attended the National Assembly's audit of Seoul City Hall held by the Administrative Safety Committee at Seoul City Hall in Jung-gu, Seoul, responding to lawmakers' questions. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

Mayor Oh emphasized the need to respond to the current situation as society enters a super-aged phase. He said, "We have been using the fixed senior citizen age of 65 since 1981, but now we have entered a completely different era where the average life expectancy reaches 86.3 years for men and 90.7 years for women. Aging is progressing at an unprecedented speed, causing a rapid increase in welfare demands such as medical care, pensions, and nursing, while the working-age population supporting them is sharply decreasing, placing an unbearable burden on future generations."

He also introduced Seoul City's policies to prepare for aging. He explained, "Since 2022, Seoul City has established the 'Population Change Response Committee' to seek countermeasures for issues such as low birth rates and aging. This year, it was expanded and reorganized into the 'Population Policy Committee,' extending its scope to cover finance, welfare, jobs, and overall city administration."

Regarding the proposal from the Senior Citizens Association to consider the period from 65 to 75 as a preparatory stage before becoming a senior citizen, allowing people to work during this time while receiving 20% to 40% of their peak retirement salary, Mayor Oh expressed his view, saying, "I believe this aligns with the reality where healthy and active 'active seniors' are emerging as new key players in production and consumption."