South Korea Archives - Page 4 of 9 - Pension Policy International

11SepSeptember 11, 2023

South Korea. Urgent pension reform

One of the problems modern welfare states must tackle is defusing the pension time bomb. And nowhere is this more urgent than in Korea, with the fastest aging population and steepest decline in birth rate worldwide. Moreover, thanks to accumulated funds, Korean retirees receive considerably more than they contributed. It contrasts with the pay-as-you-go-type schemes of some countries. That cannot go on because of the nation's demographic structure. Someone must persuade Koreans to get less ― or at least not more ―...

September 11, 2023

NewsAging, Pension Reform, South Korea

29AugAugust 29, 2023

Labour unions push to raise retirement age in greying South Korea

South Korean labour unions are battling company managements to press an unusual demand: raising the age of retirement to give workers a few more wage-earning years before having to seek another job to supplement slim pensions. The issue fuels a contest for jobs between older workers among one of the world's fastest-ageing populations, with a rate of poverty among its elderly of three times the OECD average, and young workforce entrants facing dwindling options. "Having to move to low-quality jobs after...

August 29, 2023

NewsAging, Retirement Age, South Korea

11JulJuly 11, 2023

South Korea’s $1 trillion pension fund under new pressure by climate groups over coal

South Korea’s National Pension Service (NPS) is being challenged by climate groups demanding for the retirement fund, one of the world’s largest, to disclose details of discussions over limiting investments in coal. Three activist groups jointly filed a case on Tuesday at the Seoul Administrative Court accusing the welfare ministry, which oversees the fund, of refusing to release minutes of meetings at which coal divestment policies were discussed, the campaigners said in a statement. NPS declined to comment on the...

July 11, 2023

NewsClimate crisis, Investment, South Korea

19JunJune 19, 2023

Korea launches new team on population policy amid low birthrate

Korea's presidential committee dedicated to addressing the aging society launched a policy planning team Monday, with the goal of strengthening inter-ministry ties on population policies amid the alarmingly low birthrate.The move came as Korea's total fertility rate, the average number of children a woman bears in her lifetime, hit a record low of 0.78 in 2022, much lower than the replacement level of 2.1 that would keep Korea's population stable at 51 million.The Presidential Committee on Aging Society and...

June 19, 2023

NewsAging, Labor Market, South Korea

14JunJune 14, 2023

South Korea. Rapid population aging to accelerate income inequity

Income inequality in Korea is likely to accelerate due to a rapidly aging population, according to a report released by the Bank of Korea (BOK) on Wednesday. The report revealed that income inequality among households has worsened by 30 percent over the past 25 years, largely as a result of the aging population. "The aging population is expected to have a significant negative impact on the Korean economy, not only by lowering labor productivity and increasing the burden of care, but...

June 14, 2023

NewsAging, Income, South Korea

05JunJune 5, 2023

Elderly Outnumber 20-Somethings in Korea’s Workforce

For the first time ever senior citizens outnumber 20-somethings in Korea's workforce after decades of low birthrates and an aging society.According to Statistics Korea, 3.38 million people over 60 were employed in the fourth quarter of last year, up 284,000 from the same period of 2021. But only 3.22 million Koreans in their 20s were employed, down by 36,000 over the same period.It was the first time in seven quarters that the number of young workers declined.That brought the...

June 5, 2023

NewsAging, Labor Market, South Korea

31MayMay 31, 2023

South Korea’s NPS fund sticks to plan to boost overseas, alternative investments

South Korea's National Pension Service (NPS), manager of the world's third-largest public pension fund, will continue to gradually increase its target investment in overseas and alternative assets, the welfare ministry said. The NPS will invest 55% of its total assets in stocks, 30% in bonds and 15% in alternative assets by 2028, the ministry said in a statement released on Wednesday. Its five-year investment target ratios, decided by the representative panel that governs the fund's investment policies, remained the same as...

May 31, 2023

NewsInvestment, South Korea

18AprApril 18, 2023

One in five Korean workers are over 60: Statistics

One out of five Korean workers are over 60 years old, in an aging society with plunging birth rates. The number of elderly still working and the on-year increase in the number of elderly working both reached all-time highs last year. The number of people over 60 who were working last year stood at 5.86 million, hitting the highest figure since data compilation began in 1963, according to Statistics Korea and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups on Monday. The number was...

April 18, 2023

NewsAging, Labor Market, South Korea

13AprApril 13, 2023

Bank of Korea, pension service seal $35 billion FX swap deal to help ease pressure on won

South Korea's central bank on Thursday agreed a deal with the National Pension Service that allows the latter to secure up to $35 billion in funds outside the standard foreign exchange market, a move offering support to the beleaguered Korean won. The move comes in the wake of the won weakening more than 8 per cent versus the dollar in just two months, hit by a ballooning trade deficit and a fresh wave of risk aversion in global markets. The won...

April 13, 2023

NewsPension Management, Polirical Economy, South Korea

24MarMarch 24, 2023

S. Korea’s pension fund posts 8.2% investment loss for 2022

South Korea's National Pension Fund reported a -8.2% investment return for 2022 and a 6.1% drop in assets to 890.5 trillion won ($706.4 billion). Domestic equity in the portfolio accounted for the biggest loss at -22.8%, followed by overseas equity at -12.3%, according to a statement by the Jeonju-based pension fund on March 2. "Domestic and overseas equity portfolios experienced a sharp drop in value due to ongoing market volatility at home and abroad triggered by the prolonged war in Ukraine...

March 24, 2023

NewsInvestment, Returns, South Korea

September 2023

South Korea. Urgent pension reform

August 2023

Labour unions push to raise retirement age in greying South Korea

July 2023

South Korea’s $1 trillion pension fund under new pressure by climate groups over coal

June 2023

Korea launches new team on population policy amid low birthrate

South Korea. Rapid population aging to accelerate income inequity

Elderly Outnumber 20-Somethings in Korea’s Workforce

May 2023

South Korea’s NPS fund sticks to plan to boost overseas, alternative investments

April 2023

One in five Korean workers are over 60: Statistics

Bank of Korea, pension service seal $35 billion FX swap deal to help ease pressure on won

March 2023

S. Korea’s pension fund posts 8.2% investment loss for 2022