Lee suggests adjusting basic pension payments for low-income seniors

▲ President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a town hall meeting with residents in North Chungcheong Province held in the central city of Cheongju on March 13, 2026. (Yonhap)

Lee-pension

Lee suggests adjusting basic pension payments for low-income seniors

By Kim Eun-jung

SEOUL, March 16 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung on Monday floated the idea of adjusting basic pension payments for elderly people in proportion to their income level.

Lee made the remarks in a post on the social media platform X, sharing a link to a news story about the government's plan to gradually ease the reduction in basic pension payments for couples aged 65 or older when both spouses receive the benefit. The adjustment is expected to begin next year, starting with low-income households.

"A married couple growing old together should not face disadvantages," Lee wrote on X. "I have heard that there are even cases in which people opt for sham divorces to avoid reductions in their basic pension payments."

Citing South Korea's high suicide rate among the elderly, Lee said poverty remains one of the most serious challenges facing older adults and suggested it may be time to review the current pension structure.

"If we want to reduce elderly poverty that can even drive people to take their own lives, we need to revise the current basic pension system," he said.

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