6 out of 10 Koreans back raising senior age threshold to 70

An older adult reads a job leaflet at the Western Employment Welfare Plus Center in Mapo District, Seoul, Nov. 26, 2025. Newsis

A growing majority of Koreans support raising the legal age for senior benefits from 65 to 70, according to a recent survey, as debate over one of the country’s most symbolic age-based welfare policies — free subway rides for people aged 65 or older — gains momentum amid rising fiscal pressure and rapid population aging.

A Gallup Korea survey conducted from Tuesday to Thursday found that 59 percent of respondents supported increasing the age threshold for senior benefits to 70 from the current 65, while 30 percent opposed it and 12 percent had no opinion.

The results show a shift in public opinion over the past decade, as support for the proposal stood at 46 percent in 2015.

Support for raising the threshold was relatively consistent across age groups, ranging between 55 percent and 65 percent.

People in their 30s showed the highest support at 65 percent, while those in their 60s were the least supportive at 55 percent. By political orientation, 68 percent of liberal respondents backed the proposal, compared to 59 percent of conservatives and 61 percent of moderates.

The survey also highlighted that most people believe they should be responsible for their own living costs after they retire, with six in 10 respondents agreeing. Only 29 percent said the government and society should bear that responsibility, while 4 percent pointed to their children.

The results come at a time when the government is rethinking welfare rules that were created decades ago, when Korea had a much younger population.

Older passengers are issued free subway tickets at Seoul Station in Seoul, Feb. 7, 2023. Newsis

One of the most contentious examples is the free subway ride system for passengers aged 65 and older, which was introduced in 1984. At the time, people aged 65 or older accounted for just 4.1 percent of the population. That figure has since climbed to 20.3 percent as of 2025, according to the Ministry of Data and Statistics.

The expansion of the elderly population has significantly increased the financial burden of the system, especially for urban transit operators. Budget Minister Park Hong-keun said on April 21 that in Seoul alone, free subway rides for seniors cost the city government and its subway operators about 450 billion won ($305 million) annually.

“The policy was introduced when the elderly population was relatively small, but Korea is now entering a super-aged era,” Park said. He added that discussions on raising the legal age for senior benefits and improving the self-financing capacity of local transit operators are necessary.

The subway fare debate reflects a larger shift in Korea’s welfare philosophy, moving from age-based support toward more targeted systems focused on income and sustainability.

Major cities abroad have already moved in that direction. Paris provides free transit benefits to seniors aged 65 and older who earn less than 2,200 euros per month, while Japan generally targets its transportation support at lower-income residents aged 70 and above.