There have been concerns raised that the middle-aged population in Gwangju is increasingly burdened by supporting both their parents and children, yet remains in a policy blind spot as job programs are discontinued.
On June 10, Jiae Lee, a member of the Gwangju Dong-gu Council, stated during a 'five-minute speech' at the plenary session, "The middle-aged generation faces structural limitations, remaining in simple and low-wage jobs after retirement while bearing the dual burden of supporting both parents and children. In addition, job programs for the middle-aged in Gwangju and Dong-gu offer only 500,000 to 670,000 won per month, making them insufficient as an alternative for living expenses. The 'Middle-aged Career Job Program,' which guaranteed the minimum wage and the four major insurances, was discontinued this year," she pointed out.
Lee proposed three policy tasks: ▲expanding the budget for middle-aged employment and shifting policy awareness, ▲restructuring the 'Third Life Stage Program' to focus on employment and entrepreneurship, and ▲establishing a customized entrepreneurship support and post-management system for the middle-aged.
Lee argued, "Although the employment budget for the middle-aged, who make up 22.6% of Dong-gu's population, is only 220 million won per year, 15.6 billion won is allocated for senior employment. The Third Life Stage Program, which currently focuses on general education, should be restructured around qualification courses and operated directly by the employment department."
She continued, "The middle-aged are a human resource equipped with experience and skills. Policy support and increased funding are needed so that they can play a leading role in the local community and economy."
Meanwhile, the term 'middle-aged' generally refers to those aged 50 to 64, a generation that is still healthy and experienced but remains in a policy blind spot.
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