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President Yoon Suk-yeol demanded swift reforms regarding the controversy over foreign pension recipients abusing the National Pension's retroactive payment system. According to Chief Spokesperson Kang Yu-jung on the 25th, during a Cabinet meeting at the Blue House, President Yoon pointed out that it is contradictory for short-term foreign residents to qualify for retroactive payments based on a report from Minister of Health and Welfare Jeong Eun-kyeong on the status and improvement measures of foreign nationals' retroactive contributions to the National Pension.
President Yoon urged Minister Jeong to consider strengthening eligibility requirements based on the actual residence period in the country. In his opening remarks at the Cabinet meeting, he noted the operational loopholes in the system, mentioning, "There has been recent talk about foreign pensions." He acknowledged that gaps can occur when designing systems and emphasized the need to quickly address any identified gaps.
Additionally, President Yoon added that the speed and thoroughness of corrections when problems arise are crucial. In this context, the controversy has intensified as cases of foreigners who only joined the National Pension for one month and paid contributions for past periods have come to light. The retroactive payment system allows for post-payment of contributions for periods when enrollment was interrupted due to unemployment or marriage, but it has faced criticism for being exploited as a means for foreign pension recipients.
Meanwhile, during the Cabinet meeting, President Yoon positively evaluated the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's report on high-speed rail integration but expressed concerns about increased operating deficits due to fare reductions. He also instructed a review of measures to address transportation polarization.