Park Jumin, the Chairperson of the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee and a member of the ruling Democratic Party, said on the 21st regarding the pension reform proposal, "I will organize the reform plan by presenting only those matters that can be clarified in the plenary session next week."
On this day, Park noted in the National Assembly’s welfare committee plenary meeting, "Please quickly arrange additional discussions in the Bill Examination Subcommittee. If discussions are not adequately held or are delayed in the welfare subcommittee, they will be addressed in the plenary meeting."
Ruling and opposition party lawmakers discussed the pension reform proposal in the Bill Subcommittee the day before but could not find common ground.
Both parties agreed to raise the National Pension 'insurance premium rate (the ratio of contributions)' from 9% to 13%, but there are differences of opinion regarding the 'income replacement rate (the ratio of benefits received).' The ruling party aims to lower the current income replacement rate of 42% to 40%, while the opposition has drafted a proposal to raise it to 45% to 50%.
Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Nam-hee said, "The day before, the People Power Party’s Joo Ho-young, Chairperson of the 21st National Assembly's Pension Special Committee, clearly stated the income replacement rate of 43% but has not acknowledged it and insisted on a 40% proposal." She added, "If we are to consider future generations, we must expedite pension reform. How long should we postpone discussions?"
Meanwhile, Kim Mi-ae, a lawmaker from the ruling People Power Party and the committee's secretary, said, "There were many absences in the subcommittee the previous day. Of the 11 members, only 6, including myself, were present, so we decided to suspend and continue the review." She added, "I regret that we could not complete the subcommittee's work and will ensure thorough review in the future."
In addition, the welfare committee plenary meeting on this day passed 25 legislative bills, including ▲ the partial amendment to the Emergency Medical Services Act (to ensure sufficient emergency treatment space between the ambulance driver's seat and the stretcher) and ▲ the partial amendment to the Narcotic Control Act (to prohibit inducing or enticing others to use, smoke, or ingest narcotics).