**Reaffirming the Will for Medical Reform Based on the Premise of Increasing the Number of Doctors**
Han Dong-hoon: “We must listen to and respond to the worries and anxieties of the public”
On the 29th, President Yoon Seok-yeol stated that he would push for reforms in the pension system that the younger generation, who pay the highest insurance premiums for the longest period but receive pensions at a later stage, can accept. He emphasized the need to differentiate between the pace of insurance premium increases for the younger and middle-aged generations.
President Yoon held his second national briefing at the Blue House briefing room in Seoul on the same day, presenting the government’s direction for pension reform in terms of ‘sustainability,’ ‘fairness between generations,’ and ‘post-retirement income security.’
He emphasized the need to fundamentally reform the current pension system, characterized by poverty among the elderly and mistrust among the youth, stating that simply adjusting the depletion year of the fund by 8-9 years is not sufficient. President Yoon stressed the importance of increasing the fund revenue rate along with adjustments in insurance premium rates and income replacement rates, introducing automatic stabilization mechanisms to ensure the long-term sustainability of pensions. He also highlighted the importance of legally guaranteeing national payments to instill confidence in the youth.
Additionally, he mentioned plans to expand credit to prevent gaps in pension enrollment periods due to childbirth and military service.
President Yoon stated, “I will reform various systems such as national pension, basic pension, retirement pension, and personal pension together, ensuring robust post-retirement support for the working class and the middle class.” He also mentioned plans to consider additional payments for elderly individuals receiving a monthly living allowance of 710,000 won based on the criteria for single-person households, if they start receiving basic pension.
The idea of considering differential increases in insurance premium rates based on generations during the pension reform process is seen as a way to emphasize intergenerational fairness and secure momentum for pension reform. Currently, the National Pension applies a uniform 9% insurance premium rate regardless of age, but increasing the premium rate is deemed necessary to enhance the sustainability of the pension scheme.
President Yoon’s proposal to differentiate the pace of premium rate increases by generation aims to relatively reduce the burden on the younger generation by adjusting the rate annually by 1 point for the older population and 0.5 points for the younger population when increasing the target premium rate to 13-15%.
President Yoon also addressed the issue of conflicting opinions with Han Dong-hoon, head of the People Power Party, regarding the increase in medical school admission quotas. He reiterated his commitment to the essence of reform, focusing on ‘saving regional and essential medical services,’ now that the medical school admissions increase issue has been settled.
He stated, “The recruitment of new medical students for the academic year 2025 is proceeding smoothly,” emphasizing that he will concentrate policy efforts on the core of reform, namely ‘saving regional and essential medical services.’ He did not specifically mention the proposal for postponing the expansion of medical school admissions until 2026, but emphasized the importance of increasing the number of doctors as a fundamental condition for reform.
President Yoon said, “Along with increasing the number of doctors, we will focus on advancing education and training.” He pledged to introduce measures to produce more competent doctors through the advancement of medical education, and innovation in the system for training specialists. He also mentioned transitioning away from the reliance on specialists in major general hospitals to prioritize specialists and clinical support nurses in medical services.
On the other hand, Han Dong-hoon stated at a plenary meeting of the National Assembly on the same day that he proposed an alternative (postponement of the 2026 medical school admission increase) after considering various public opinions and sentiments, particularly the serious situation in emergency rooms and operating rooms. He emphasized that while government-led medical reform is a crucial national task, it is also essential to attentively listen to and respond to the worries and anxieties of the public during the implementation process.