KARP "We Urge the Expansion of Senior Jobs to 1.2 Million"

The Lee Jae-Myung administration has submitted to the National Assembly a 2026 budget plan totaling 72.83 trillion won, which includes an increase in senior jobs from the current 1.1 million to 1.15 million.

In response, the Korea Association of Retired Persons (KARP, an NGO under the UN Economic and Social Council, represented by Juch Myong-Yong) urges that, during the 2026 budget deliberations, the government raise the senior job target to at least 1.2 million and present a roadmap to expand it further to 1.4 million. This is the solution to the crisis faced by Korean seniors who are being pushed out of more than 2,000 jobs every day, and it is the pathway to prepare for the future together with the people.

South Korea is currently suffering from the triple burdens of economic stagnation, high inflation, and high interest rates. On top of this, as the baby boomer generation (born between 1955 and 1963) enters old age in full force, the transition to a super-aged society is advancing at the fastest pace in the world. This poses a grave challenge that goes beyond welfare issues and directly affects the national economy and social stability.

During the 2022 presidential election, President Lee Jae-myung pledged to create 1.4 million senior jobs, expressing a strong commitment to addressing the challenges of a super-aged society. However, the government’s announced target for senior jobs in 2026 remains at just 1.15 million.

Now is a time for investment and solidarity, not austerity. Expanding senior jobs is not simply a welfare policy, but a national economic strategy, a key to intergenerational solidarity, and a future growth engine. Accordingly, KARP strongly calls for the active utilization of the 506070+ workforce.

We make the following demands:

1. Raise the 2026 senior job target to 1.2 million.Taking into account the difficult economic situation this year, the government’s plan (1.15 million) should be further expanded by an additional 50,000 jobs, bringing the total to 1.2 million.

2. Prepare a roadmap to expand by 300,000 jobs over the next five years and complete the 1.4 million job system.After reaching 1.2 million in 2026, the number should increase by 50,000 each year, building a roadmap to reach 1.4 million by 2030.

3. Establish a national-level job strategy tailored to the entry of the baby boomer generation into old age.In a super-aged society where the population aged 65 and older exceeds 20% of the total, expanding jobs for seniors is an investment that reduces welfare expenditures and enhances economic vitality. A comprehensive employment strategy must be established accordingly.

We emphasize once again: The government and the National Assembly must, in their deliberations on the 2026 budget, adjust the senior job target upward to at least 1.2 million and confirm a roadmap to reach 1.4 million within five years. This is the way to overcome the crisis of a super-aged society and prepare for the future together with the people.

September 3, 2025Juch Myung-YongPresident, Korea Association of Retired Persons (KARP)