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President Lee Jae-myung delivers a commemorative address during a ceremony marking the 76th anniversary of the Korean War, held at the Suwon Convention Center on the 25th. / Courtesy of Yonhap News

President Lee Jae-myung called for deepening discussions to improve the stability and yields of the country's retirement pension system after reviewing its current operational status on the 25th. This move is interpreted as an intention to reform the system by viewing retirement pensions both as a safety net for workers in their old age and as a task for establishing a fair labor market.

During the 39th senior presidential secretaries' meeting presided over at the Blue House on the afternoon of the same day, President Lee received briefings from the Office of the Senior Secretary for Social Affairs on plans for "A Fair Labor Market for Everyone's Growth" and "Strengthening the Basic Living Safety Net."

Kang Yu-jung, chief presidential spokesperson, explained during a briefing, "We thoroughly examined how retirement pensions are currently being operated in workplaces with fewer than 300 employees versus those with 300 or more employees."

According to Spokesperson Kang, President Lee diagnosed that retirement pensions need to be examined across three distinct dimensions: payment stability provided by employers, stability protected by workers themselves, and professionalism to boost investment returns.

Spokesperson Kang conveyed that President Lee then suggested that deeper discussions are required, questioning whether social dialogue on these specific areas might be necessary.

President Lee also emphasized the role of presidential aides in policy planning. "The Blue House is a place where new ideas and planning are crucial," he said, adding that the role of aides is to lead by example through creative and proactive thinking.

Furthermore, he urged his staff to dedicate efforts to actively promoting the Blue House's policies and initiatives to the public.

                                                                                                       Park Young-hoon