Candidate Kim Jin-pyo visited the 'Gwanggyo Silver University' held on the 27th at the seniors center of Apartment Complex 32 in Gwanggyo Lake Village, expressing gratitude for the contributions of the silver generation to national development.
At the event, Candidate Kim stated, "The generation of elders are the architects who transformed our nation from one of the poorest countries in the world to the prosperous nation it is today—people who worked harder than anyone else," and added, "Thanks to our elders, our country became the only nation among independent countries after World War II to achieve both democracy and economic development simultaneously."
He continued, "Yet their own retirement remains unprepared, and we cannot escape the grim reality of being ranked 1st among OECD countries in elderly poverty rate and 1st in elderly suicide rate. National-level filial piety welfare measures for our elders are urgently needed."
In relation to this, Candidate Kim proposed welfare pledges for seniors including doubling the monthly basic pension of 90,000 won and expanding its coverage, as well as designating Parents' Day as a public holiday.
Candidate Kim also explained the achievements from last year's National Assembly budget, including increasing the heating expenses budget for senior centers from 300,000 won to 360,000 won per month, and the implementation of 50% health insurance coverage for dentures for seniors aged 75 and older starting in July of this year.
The event was attended by Candidate Kim Jin-pyo, Son Ju-yeol, chairman of the Gwanggyo Lake Village Complex 32 senior association, Kim Dal-hyeon, chairman of the Korean Senior Citizens Association Yeongdong-gu branch, and approximately 100 senior students.