President Yoon: "Strengthening the Welfare System... Will Fundamentally Reform It"

-"Establishing a 'Visiting Welfare System' Accessible to Every Single Person Without Exception"
-Mention of Crisis Household Detection System... "Will Continue to Strengthen Elderly Care System"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] President Yoon Seok-yeol announced plans to strengthen the welfare system for those who cannot speak up for themselves and are facing difficulties. He intends to design a so-called 'visiting welfare system' that can provide support without a single exception, fundamentally reforming related laws, systems, and information systems.

On the 1st, President Yoon visited the Changsin 2-dong Community Service Center in Jongno-gu, Seoul, where he held a meeting with social welfare officials and local welfare workers to discuss the discovery of welfare blind spots and improvements to the support system.

At the meeting, President Yoon stated, "Even if the public sector tightens its belt due to the difficult economic situation, the new government's direction is to provide stronger support for the socially vulnerable." He added, "We have raised the median income standard for basic living benefits to the highest level ever for next year, and the next year's budget also focuses on protecting low-income and vulnerable groups."

Expressing regret over the recent mother and daughter incident in Suwon City, he emphasized, "We must design a 'visiting welfare system' that supports every single person who cannot speak up for themselves and is facing difficulties without exception. The new government will fundamentally reform related laws, systems, and information systems."

He also mentioned the importance of the role of social welfare workers on the ground for the proper functioning of the crisis household discovery system. President Yoon promised, "If you share many good insights based on your experiences and feelings in the field, the policy authorities will listen carefully to design the system well and do their best to ensure that local governments at the front line can properly implement it." He added, "The government and the private sector must join forces to create a system where neighborhood clinics, banks, religious facilities, and others that residents use work together to find and support crisis households."

Following the meeting, President Yoon visited the home of an elderly person living alone in Changsin 2-dong who receives basic living benefits and a basic pension. He delivered Chuseok holiday gifts, checked on the elder’s well-being, and reviewed welfare projects for elderly living alone. At this occasion, President Yoon said, "We will continue to strengthen the elderly care system, including expanding community-centered customized care services so that the elderly who sacrificed and devoted themselves to Korea’s economic development can live healthy and safe lives in their old age."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.