Kim Moon-soo, the presidential candidate from the People Power Party, announced pledges for the elderly on the 19th. The key point is that the state will help seniors live healthy and vibrant retirements.
Attending a meeting with the Korean Senior Citizens Association in Jung-gu, Seoul, Kim stated, “We will abolish the pension reduction system based on earned income, so working does not negatively affect pensions.” He further mentioned plans to incrementally increase the basic pension for the lower 50% income bracket to 400,000 KRW per month.
He emphasized creating an environment where the state looks after the health of the elderly, so they don’t have to rely on their children. Kim also promised to support caregiving expenses for inpatients at nursing hospitals, providing at least 500,000 KRW per month for family caregivers and 1,000,000 KRW for spouses over 65.
Regarding dementia, Kim outlined plans to increase available hours for dementia day care services, expand primary dementia care doctors nationwide, and supply dementia-friendly public housing to alleviate patient difficulties.
Additionally, Kim proposed funding for food in senior community centers to encourage shared meals among the elderly and discussed enhancing AI education and distribution to prevent seniors from being excluded in the digital era.