Reviewing Introduction of 'Domestic Residency Period' Requirement for Basic Pension... Lee: "It's a Matter of Fairness and Principle" (Comprehensive)

Improvement of Loopholes in Back Payment of National Pension by Foreigners
Comprehensive Review of Social Security and Government-Subsidized Programs
"Need to Identify and Address Institutional Loopholes"

All-Out Search for Missing Person

President Lee Jae-myung has instructed officials to revise the current system that allows foreigners who acquire Korean citizenship to receive the basic pension immediately, as long as they meet the income and asset requirements. He directed that measures be considered, such as setting a minimum residency period in Korea, which would be required before foreigners become eligible for the basic pension. The President also ordered a swift response to address the institutional loophole whereby foreigners can secure pension eligibility by joining the national pension for a short period and then making a lump-sum retroactive payment for previous contributions.

President Lee Jae-myung is speaking at the senior secretary meeting held at the Blue House on September 3, 2026. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

At the senior secretary meeting held at the Blue House on September 3, President Lee presided over discussions related to the basic pension system, stating, "If individuals satisfy the requirements related to income and assets, the basic pension is paid regardless of when citizenship was acquired. There is ongoing controversy over whether it is reasonable to designate someone as eligible for the basic pension simply because they acquired citizenship one month ago and meet the income and asset criteria." He added these remarks to clarify his position.

President Lee continued, "To use an extreme example: a person who has lived their entire life as a foreigner may suddenly acquire citizenship, reside in Korea, and immediately receive the same basic pension. While such cases may not be common, this is not an issue about the frequency but fundamentally a matter of principle." He went on to emphasize, "The very existence of this gap is perceived as unfair discrimination by the majority of Korean citizens who have consistently fulfilled their tax obligations as citizens."

Accordingly, President Lee instructed that foreign case studies and relevant bills proposed in the National Assembly be comprehensively reviewed to consider introducing a requirement for a minimum period of residency in Korea before receiving the basic pension. He stated, "In most countries where the basic pension is funded through taxation, there are requirements for individuals to have lived in the country for a certain period," adding, "We need to thoroughly examine overseas cases and domestic research results to consider improving the system, such as by setting a minimum domestic residency period."

President Lee also addressed the recent controversy regarding foreigners making lump-sum retroactive payments into the national pension system. He said, "Recently, there have been issues where foreigners enroll in the national pension for just one month and then retroactively pay contributions for 119 months to qualify for the pension," noting, "We are swiftly working to rectify this institutional inadequacy."

Using the current debate as an opportunity, President Lee instructed that authorities review not only the National and Basic Pension systems but also identify loopholes across the broader social security and government subsidy programs. He stressed, "Social security systems funded by resources pooled by citizens must be designed with precision and fairness, so that no one gains unfair benefit or suffers unjust loss."

He further stated, "On this occasion, I hope a thorough and comprehensive review is conducted across other social security systems and all government subsidy programs to identify and address any institutional loopholes inconsistent with the public's sense of fairness and common sense."

Additionally, regarding the capsized tugboat accident off the coast of Busan discussed during the meeting, President Lee instructed that every effort be made in the search for missing persons, that the circumstances of the incident be investigated thoroughly, and that preventive measures be put in place. With regard to recent torrential rains, he emphasized the need to focus efforts on disaster prevention – especially for farmers – as heavy rainfall in late summer and early autumn continues to recur. He also called for strict safety planning and management for large-scale autumn events such as the World Fireworks Festival scheduled for Yeouido this weekend, highlighting that "there should not be even the smallest oversight in safety planning," and instructed close monitoring of crowd management and facility safety.

On recent incidents involving the police, President Lee called for a sweeping overhaul of the policing system. He said, "The recent string of incidents has exposed significant gaps in our public safety system. The police must use these incidents as a mirror, approaching internal reform and institutional improvements with utmost determination." Regarding the upcoming inauguration of the Prosecution Office and the Serious Crime Investigation Agency, he stressed that "the goal of all reform is to bring tangible improvements to the lives of the people," and, "reform is not about words in a law book, but must be realized and judged in the everyday lives of our citizens."

In a follow-up closed meeting, President Lee received a report from the Office of the Senior Presidential Secretary for Social Affairs on the progress of the state responsibility system for the care of people with developmental disabilities, which is both a campaign pledge and a national policy goal. He was then briefed by the Office of the Senior Secretary for AI-Future Planning on the 'Hongik AI' initiative, with a proposal to strengthen AI capabilities for all citizens and to devise a title that would be easy for the public to remember.

Concluding the meeting, President Lee asked Blue House staff to maintain an attitude of thorough humility and cooperation when planning work and collaborating with ministries, according to Chief Presidential Spokesperson Kang You-cheong.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.