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This time, it is the situation of Japan, a neighboring country.

In Japan, which experienced the aging problem faster than us and has a similar national pension system to ours, pension reform has been progressing step by step despite social opposition 20 years ago.



Correspondent Park Sang-jin in Tokyo will tell you what kind of plan it is and how solid the finances are.



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Since the early 2000s, Japan has begun reforming the welfare pension system, which corresponds to our national pension.



As the population ages, the number of people receiving pension benefits increases, but as the birth rate drops, the number of people paying insurance premiums decreases.



Amid social opposition, in 2004, Japan decided to gradually raise the welfare pension insurance premium rate from 13.58% to 18.3%.



This is twice as high as Korea, where the insurance premium rate is 9%.



[Koizumi/Prime Minister of Japan (last 2004): Not only the ruling party but also the opposition party agreed (the pension reform bill) passed the National Assembly.

I think it's a big step forward.]



Japan's welfare pension is automatically reduced in line with the birth rate and life expectancy, that is, the reform was made in a way of 'pay more and receive less', but instead, the government has set the income replacement rate to 50% even after 2040. I promised to keep it.



Along with the pension reform, the retirement age was also pushed forward, making it compulsory for employment up to the age of 65 by 2025.



The time when the pension is first paid will also be from the age of 65 from 2025 in line with the extension of the retirement age, but it can be delayed to the age of 70 or 75 depending on the choice.



[Japanese citizen: I cannot receive all the amount paid in pension, but I think it is an obligation.]



Japan has been promoting pension reform for over 20 years, and has achieved social consensus through fierce debate.



The Japanese ruling party, which pushed for pension reform at the time in 2004, suffered a crushing defeat in the parliamentary elections held in the same year.



However, it is evaluated that the decision at the time created a financial structure that allows pension payments even 100 years later.



(Video coverage: Han Cheol-min · Moon Hyun-jin)