Human Rights Commission: "Young Single-Person Households Are Also Individual Households Under the Basic Livelihood Security System"

National Human Rights Commission of Korea building. Photo by National Human Rights Commission

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] On the 5th, the National Human Rights Commission of Korea announced, "We have recommended the Minister of Health and Welfare to prepare measures to improve related laws and systems so that unmarried children aged 19 to under 30 who live separately from their parents can, in principle, be recognized as separate households under the National Basic Livelihood Security System." The recommendation implies that single-person households in their 20s should also be recognized as individual households under the National Basic Livelihood Security System.

The National Basic Livelihood Security System selects beneficiaries and calculates benefits based on the income and assets of the entire household as the unit of guarantee. In principle, unmarried children under 30 are included in the same guaranteed household as their parents even if they live separately.

In this regard, the Human Rights Commission explained, "When reviewing eligibility conditions, the income and assets of the parents are considered together, causing some to be excluded from beneficiary selection or, even if selected, the per capita cash benefit is less than that of a single-person household, creating blind spots in social security."

They added, "It is necessary to refrain from emphasizing family-oriented culture with the aim of reducing the state's responsibility for public support," and stated, "It is desirable to improve the system to recognize young people in their 20s as free and independent adults."

The Human Rights Commission also emphasized, "Support with timeliness and sufficiency is needed so that the difficulties faced by young people in their 20s living in poverty are not dismissed as temporary, but can resolve current anxieties and prepare for the future," and warned, "Economic dependence of young people in their 20s on their parents can undermine the parents' retirement preparation and deepen elderly poverty." Furthermore, they noted, "When the young generation becomes middle-aged, they may bear the double burden of supporting both their elderly parents and their adult children."

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