The Democratic Party of Korea has finalized the composition of the National Assembly Pension Reform Special Committee. It was formed with a variety of age representatives to reflect the views of individuals in their 30s through 60s. Notably, members in their 30s and 40s represent half of the committee.
Yoon Jong-gun, the Democratic Party floor spokesperson, noted in a written briefing on the 25th that “a total of six members were selected as Commissioners for the Special Committee.” Oh Gi-hyung will serve as the secretary of the Special Committee, with Nam In-soon, Kang Sun-woo, Kim Nam-hee, Mo Gyeong-jong, and Park Hong-bae also participating. Among them, Kang Sun-woo, Kim Nam-hee, and Mo Gyeong-jong belong to the 30s and 40s group.
Yoon noted, “The composition of this Special Committee encompasses various generations from the 30s to the 60s, while also evenly distributing experts in areas such as economy, youth, welfare, and labor,” and said that “through a ‘generation-integrated expert-centered’ composition, substantial and sustainable discussions on pension reform are expected to proceed.”
He added, “I promise to continuously discuss and find effective solutions for issues like the reduced reflection of ‘military credit expansion for 18 months’ due to opposition from the People Power Party,” and “I will ensure the completion of pension reform based on the Commissioners of the Special Committee.”
Previously, there were ongoing criticisms in the political arena that the pension reform plans agreed upon by both ruling and opposition parties favored the older generation while being disadvantageous to the youth. The 30s and 40s members of both parties held a joint press conference the day before and asserted, “For the National Pension System to be sustainable, ultimately ‘someday’ and ‘someone’ must cover the shortfall.” They also pointed out that the majority of the Special Committee should consist of members in their 30s and 40s.
The People Power Party also filled three out of five Commissioners in the Special Committee with members in their 30s and 40s. The Chairperson of the Special Committee was decided to be Yoon Young-seok of the People Power Party. The National Assembly Pension Reform Special Committee will discuss various issues, including the expansion of birth and military service credits, financial stabilization measures, and the structural reforms of various pensions such as the National Pension, Basic Pension, Retirement Pension, and Personal Pension.