Chairman Shin Donggeun of the Public Officials Federation: "Extending Retirement Age to 65 Is a Matter of Survival"

South Korea, the Only OECD Country Where Retirement and Pension Ages Do Not Align
"Five-Year Income Gap?The State Must Keep Its Promise"
Guaranteeing Basic Political Rights, Including Party Membership
Legal Institutionalization Needed for the Public Officials Compensation Committee

"Currently, public officials retire at the age of 60 and begin receiving their pensions at 65, resulting in a five-year income gap. This is not just a systemic gap-it is a crisis of survival."

On the afternoon of January 7, at the office of the Korean Federation of Government Employees' Unions in Yeouido-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, Chairman Shin Donggeun emphasized this point, identifying the extension of the retirement age to 65 as the top priority for this year. The Public Officials Labor Union Federation, under the umbrella of the Federation of Korean Trade Unions, represents 38 affiliated unions and approximately 85,000 members.

Shin Donggeun, Chairman of the Public Officials Labor Union Federation, in an interview with The Asia Business Daily on the 7th, identified the extension of the retirement age for public officials to 65 as the top priority task to be resolved this year. Provided by the Public Officials Labor Union Federation.

Chairman Shin pointed out, "During the 2015 public officials' pension reform, the government promised to gradually extend the retirement age to 65. However, related institutional improvements and legal amendments have been postponed to this day, resulting in an increasing number of public officials suffering from income gaps."

According to the Public Officials Labor Union Federation, about 100,000 public officials will face this gap period by 2032. They explained that it is difficult to maintain a livelihood with the public officials' severance pay, which is only 39% of what is provided in the private sector.

"South Korea is virtually the only OECD country where the retirement age and the pension eligibility age for public officials do not match. Countries like Japan and Germany are mitigating the shock through employment extension and institutional soft-landing measures."

Although there are concerns that extending the retirement age could provoke backlash from younger generations, Chairman Shin explained that public opinion is different. According to an SBS poll last year, 79% of those in their 20s and younger and 81% of those in their 30s supported extending the retirement age. In a survey of public officials, 76.9% of those in their teens and 20s and 76.7% of those in their 30s expressed support.

Regarding concerns about personnel bottlenecks due to the extension, he said, "We can consider forming administrative support task forces based on experience, where public officials step down from their positions during the extended period after age 60."

According to Statistics Korea's population projections, the working-age population (ages 15-64) will plummet from 36.74 million in 2022 to 29.03 million in 2040. Chairman Shin explained that extending the retirement age is urgent, even just to maintain the working-age population.

The Public Officials Labor Union Federation is also focusing on guaranteeing basic political rights alongside the retirement age extension. In December last year, a package of six bills to guarantee the basic political rights of public officials-including the Public Officials Act, Political Funds Act, Political Parties Act, and Public Officials Union Act-was proposed, spearheaded by National Assemblyman Park Junghyun.

"The political neutrality guaranteed by Article 7, Paragraph 2 of the Constitution was originally intended to ensure independence from power. However, in reality, it has become a tool to suppress the basic political rights of public officials. Not only joining a political party or expressing political opinions, but even simply clicking 'like' on a personal social media post can be grounds for disciplinary action."

In major OECD countries such as the United States, Japan, and France, strict neutrality is maintained regarding work-related matters, but individual political freedoms are guaranteed. Chairman Shin also suggested cross-restriction measures to minimize the side effects of political donations and party membership.

The Korean Federation of Government Employees' Unions (second from the left, Chairman Shin Donggeun) and the Federation of Teachers' Unions met with Jeong Cheongrae, leader of the Democratic Party (third from the left), on the 30th of last month and agreed to jointly work for the prompt passage of the six-package bills guaranteeing the basic political rights of government officials and teachers. On that day, Leader Jeong stated, "Promises made will definitely be kept." Provided by the Government Employees' Union.

Institutionalizing the Public Officials Compensation Committee is also a key issue. Currently, the committee is a formal body without legal authority, serving only as a 'reference' for the Ministry of Economy and Finance. As of 2023, the compensation for general public officials was at a record low, standing at 74.6% of the private sector average.

Chairman Shin said, "Like the Minimum Wage Commission, it should be elevated to an organization under the Prime Minister and its decisions should be reflected in the budget. Public officials are also workers, and our demands should be reflected through proper channels."

Chairman Shin emphasized, "Public officials must be happy for the people to be happy. We are not seeking special privileges, but will work to create a society where the fundamental labor rights of public officials, who devote themselves to the nation as members of an advanced country, are guaranteed."

After the inauguration ceremony of the 6th Public Officials Labor Union Federation to be held at the Kim Koo Museum & Library on January 14, he plans to tour all 38 affiliated unions nationwide, starting from Jeju Island. His plan is to listen to voices on the ground and expand the organization to 150,000 members, establishing it as the representative body for public officials' unions.

Chairman Shin said, "There are progressive members in the union, and there are also conservative members. If grabbing each other's collars is sometimes the role of field union activists, then meeting and negotiating with both the Democratic Party and the People Power Party is the role of the central union," he said.

Shin Donggeun, Chairman. Provided by the Government Officials Federation.

*Chairman Shin Donggeun is affiliated with the Gyeongsangnam-do Provincial Government. He served as the chairman of the Gyeongsangnam-do Government Employees' Union for four consecutive terms (6th to 9th), as Senior Vice Chairman of the Public Officials Labor Union Federation, and as Standing Vice Chairman of the Federation of Korean Trade Unions' Gyeongnam Regional Headquarters. He was elected as the 6th chairman of the Public Officials Labor Union Federation on October 6 last year. His term runs until October 31, 2028, for three years. While serving as union chairman at his home organization, the Gyeongsangnam-do Provincial Government, for four terms, he worked with both Governors Hong Joonpyo and Kim Kyungsoo.