By Jun Ji-hye
Some 70 percent of seniors will be able to get monthly government subsidies ranging from 100,000 won ($96) to 200,000 won from this July as the National Assembly approved the long-overdue bill for that, Friday.
Out of 195 attending lawmakers, 140 voted for the bill, 49 voted against, and 6 abstained.
Under the approved bill, the country will provide 70 percent of seniors in the low-income bracket with the above-mentioned amount of basic pension every month through linkage between the scheme and the national pension.
The passage was enabled after the government and ruling Saenuri Party sent an ultimatum to the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD).
The Saenuri Party could manage to pass it thanks to its majority of the parliamentary seats. Among the total of 298 seats, the ruling party holds 156 against the NPAD’s 130.
The NPAD separately suggested its bill to offer 200,000 won to the poor 70 percent of seniors en bloc without linking the basic pension to the national pension. But it failed to gain majority vote.
The passage came after lawmakers of the NPAD agreed to follow their party leaders, Reps. Ahn Cheol-soo and Kim Han-gil, on handling the bill with the governing party during their three-hour meeting.
The two chairmen reportedly asserted the need for the approval, expressing concerns that should they fail to approve the welfare bill, the ruling party will most likely exploit this failure to score political points in the upcoming June 4 local elections.
On the previous day, the leading opposition party conducted a vote of its lawmakers to collect their opinions on the issue. Seventy three members said they are for the approval of the ruling party’s compromise suggestion, while 35 were against. Other members refused to give an answer.
The number of lawmakers who supported the passage rose by 10, compared to the vote conducted at the end of last month.
The basic pension bill has been at the center of political strife between rival parties, after President Park Geun-hye acknowledged that she cannot fulfill her campaign pledge to unconditionally offer a 200,000 won basic pension to all seniors over 65 due to the shortage of budget.
From then, the governing side has proposed several modified versions, calling for linking the scheme to the national pension and providing the elderly with a basic pension at differential rates based on income level.
The idea has invited opposition from the NPAD. Those opposed to the passage till the last minute claimed that linking basic pension and national pension will work unfavorably against young adults and middle-aged people who have diligently contributed to the national pension over the years.