Gapyeong County Council Visits National Pension Service Headquarters, Demands Withdrawal of Gapyeong Counseling Center Closure

Gapyeong County Council (Chairman Kim Kyungsoo) made a protest visit to the headquarters of the National Pension Service, located in Deokjin District, Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do, on November 12, regarding the decision to close the Gapyeong Counseling Center of the National Pension Service.

Gapyeong County Council visited the headquarters of the National Pension Service located in Deokjin-gu, Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do on the 12th and is demanding the withdrawal of the decision to close the Gapyeong Counseling Center of the National Pension Service. Provided by Gapyeong County Council

This protest visit was attended by Chairman Kim Kyungsoo and other council members of Gapyeong County Council, while the National Pension Service was represented by the Director of Planning and Coordination and the Head of Strategic Planning.

Chairman Kim Kyungsoo strongly demanded the withdrawal of the decision to close the Gapyeong Counseling Center, stating, "Gapyeong is a super-aged region, with more than 20,000 out of 63,000 residents aged 65 or older, and although the area of Gapyeong County is more than 1.5 times larger than that of Seoul, public transportation is severely lacking. Nevertheless, the National Pension Service's unilateral decision to close the Gapyeong Counseling Center for administrative efficiency could seriously undermine Gapyeong residents' access to welfare."

The council members who accompanied the visit added, "If the Gapyeong Counseling Center ceases operation, residents of Sang-myeon and Buk-myeon in Gapyeong County will have to travel all the way to Chuncheon for pension consultations, inquiries, and applications, which wastes a great deal of time due to inconvenient public transportation. The National Pension Service's unilateral decision to close the Gapyeong Counseling Center completely disregards the realities of the region."

Furthermore, they argued that since the relocation of the National Pension Service to Jeonju was carried out for the purpose of balanced national development, and considering that Gapyeong County is a depopulated area, it would be more appropriate to relocate a nearby branch for local development, rather than eliminating the existing counseling center. They emphasized that closing the center is a highly unjust decision.

In response, a representative of the National Pension Service stated, "We understand that the closure of the counseling center may cause a sense of loss and alienation in the region, but the decision was made through the board of directors to enhance organizational efficiency, and currently, 16 counseling centers have already been closed. We will strive to minimize inconvenience for Gapyeong residents through outreach services."

Regarding this stance of the National Pension Service, Chairman Kim Kyungsoo and council members of Gapyeong County Council emphasized, "As an institution responsible for the retirement of the people, the National Pension Service should set an example in bridging welfare gaps between regions." They also delivered the resolution adopted at the 333rd temporary session of Gapyeong County Council urging the withdrawal of the closure decision, stressing that the 63,000 residents of Gapyeong County strongly wish for the Gapyeong Counseling Center to remain open."

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