<Anchor>
Discussions over pension reform continue in Korea, but a large-scale strike against pension reform is currently underway in France.
For more details, let's find out by connecting with our correspondent in Paris.
Correspondent Kwak Sang-eun, first of all, how big is this strike?
<Reporter>
All over France, unions in major fields, including public transportation and education, went on strike.
Let's take a look at the situation on the way to work this morning.
[Gite/Parisian: I can't even ride the subway in the morning, and I have 4 children, but it's difficult because the school is on strike.] Due to the
strike, most of the subways, trains, and buses stopped, and some flights were also canceled.
Teachers went on strike and some schools were closed.
Rallies to stop pension reform will also be held in 200 regions across France, and the union has warned of a long-term war, saying that the strike will not end today.
<Anchor>
There are quite a few voices against pension reform, but please explain what is included in the pension reform.
<Reporter>
The core of the French pension reform is the extension of the retirement age.
Currently, in France, when you reach the age of 62, you receive a pension at the same time as retirement.
This means that by 3 months each year, the retirement age will be delayed by 2 years to 64 by 2030.
This also lowers the pension eligibility age.
Instead, the plan is to raise the minimum pension cap to 85% from the current 75% of the minimum wage.
The French government expects the pension deficit to reach 18 trillion won in 2030 if the current system is in place.
[Born/Prime Minister of France: (If we don't fix the system now), it will lead to a massive tax increase and a decrease in pension receipts, threatening our pension system.]
<Anchor>
In Korea, public opinion in favor of extending the retirement age is higher, but France Things are a bit different with us.
<Reporter> In
Korea, public opinion in favor of extending the retirement age is high because the purpose of extending the retirement age, which is currently 60 years old, is to reduce the period of life without a pension, while the pension eligibility age for the middle-aged has already been lowered to 65 years.
France has a structure in which pensions are received at the same time as the retirement age, so there is a great resistance to the reform of receiving pension after working for two more years.
[Stehdiniak/Economist (opposing pension reform): (Government pension reform) hurts the low-educated and manual laborers who start working early or find it difficult to work over the age of 60.]
President Macron said he could not delay any longer .
Although it has expressed its will to enforce pension reform, opposition from unions and opposition parties is a mountain that must be overcome.
(Video coverage: Shim Na-yeon, video editing: Jung Yong-hwa)