Not enough to buy even 2lb of rice
North Korea disguises starvation as natural deaths
Source: AP
In light of the predicted depletion of the national pension fund, discussions on its reform continue, focusing on how to assure the livelihood of citizens in their old age.
Does North Korea have a pension system similar to South Korea’s national pension system?
North Korea does have pension regulations for social security. According to Article 72 of the North Korean Constitution (2019), “Citizens have the right to receive free medical care, and elderly, sick, or physically disabled people who have lost their ability to work, as well as orphaned children and the elderly without caretakers, have the right to receive material assistance,” providing a basis for social security.
Source: AP
According to the 2023 Report on North Korea Human Rights published by the South Korean Ministry of Unification last year, North Korea has a pension system for citizens who are too old to work.
This pension is called the old-age pension, and it is reportedly paid to men over 60 and women over 55 who have worked for more than 25 years.
According to testimonies from defectors, the old-age pension provided by North Korea is usually paid in cash or in-kind at local offices, with recipients receiving about 89 cents or 1lb of rice and 0.7 cents between 2017 and 2019.
Considering that a 2lb bag of rice costs between $3 and $4 in the North Korean market, the pension is too pittance to buy even 1kg of rice.
Source: AP
It’s speculated that the old-age pension is barely enough to maintain a basic living standard when most citizens, except for a small portion of the wealthy, rely on the market for their livelihood.
North Korea also has other pensions, such as the disability pension for those who lose their ability to work due to illness or physical disability and the bereaved family pension, which provides a certain amount of money to the families of deceased pension recipients.
However, it’s shocking to learn that these pensions also provide as small amount as the old-age pension.
Pensions ensure a basic living standard for elderly citizens or those who struggle to make ends meet for various reasons.
But the dominant view is that North Korea, which can’t even provide for the livelihood of its working-age population, is unlikely to grant pensions properly.
Source: AP
North Korea’s pension system is nothing more than a hollow shell.
According to defector testimonies, many older adults make extreme choices to reduce the burden on their children.
Not only are pensions not adequately granted, but even if they were, it would be hard to sustain a living on these pensions.
Therefore, some older adults end their lives to ensure their children receive the bereaved family pension.
Source: Korean Central News Agency
It’s also reported that North Korea disguises the cause of death for older adults who make extreme choices as natural deaths in an attempt to maintain the facade of a country with a solid social security system.
The reason North Korea pays so much attention to the social security system is that only countries with established social security systems are recognized as independent free nations.
It is speculated that North Korea will continue to uphold this facade of a social security system in its current pursuit of unification erasure to establish itself as an independent, free nation with a unified system.
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