As South Korea ages, free rides become a headache
Every day, 71-year-old Park Gyung-sun rides the sprawling subway of Seoul...
delivering flowers, documents and other packages around the South Korean capital.
People call this sort of work 'Silver Delivery' because its popular among senior citizens,
who are entitled to ride the city's networks for free.
Park can earn up to $550 a month due to the lack of transportation costs.
However, as South Korea's popular rapidly ages and it gets more expensive to run the subway...
...these free rides have become a thorny political issue - putting Park's job in peril.
“We're a bit nervous if we are asked to pay for a metro ticket. If we have to pay for the subway, we will have to think about alternative (jobs). The Seoul Metropolitan Government should think a lot about this. It's a job for the elderly, and if it's gone, the elderly have no place to work.”
Free rides have been a perk enjoyed nationally by those 65 and older for four decades and are credited with keeping senior citizens active.
However, some cities are now threatening steep fare hikes or to raise the eligible age unless the national government shoulders some of the cost.
The finance ministry is staunchly opposed.
It says it has funded building and improving subway systems, and the cities should shoulder operating costs.
In December, Seoul unveiled plans to hike fares by as much as 30%,
although free rides for the elderly will remain in place.
Bae Ki-geun is the owner of Silver Quick Subway Delivery Service, where Park works.
...he says his business doesn't work without free tickets.
“The recruitment criteria were set based on current subway fares (free ticket for seniors), because delivery work requires employees to travel a lot by subway and it costs a lot. That's why we recruit senior citizens over 65. We've tried (hiring younger people) before, but it's not possible to hire people under the age of 65 in this field.”
The issue is a political headache for President Yoon Suk-yeol.
He promised fiscal consolidation upon taking office in May but also counts elderly voters as a key support base.
Currently, more than 18% of South Korea's population of 51 million is aged 65 or older - that's forecast to balloon to 40% by 2050.
When asked for comment, Yoon's office said it will review whether local governments can hike up the age for free rides...
A Gallup poll last week showed 60% of Koreans support raising the minimum to 70 years old.
As South Korea ages, free rides become a headache
