Civil servants may be excluded from new pension scheme

The presidential transition committee is likely to exclude civil servants, service personnel and teachers from a new pension plan pledged by President-elect Park Geun-hye during her campaign, a committee official said Thursday.

The so-called "basic pension" scheme would double the monthly allowance for senior citizens aged 65 or older to 200,000 won ($189).

"The basic pension scheme aims to support elderly citizens who are excluded from welfare benefits, so it makes sense to exclude those who are already receiving a stable pension," the official told Yonhap News Agency by phone, asking that he not be identified.

More than 240,000 people aged 65 or older, or 4 percent of the elderly population, currently receive a pension through a special scheme for the three professions.

The committee is also considering giving the full basic pension only to senior citizens in the lower 70 percent income bracket, and keeping the current pension of around 100,000 won for richer pensioners, the official said.

It is also considering giving poor senior citizens who do not qualify for any sort of allowance a pension funded wholly by taxes.

(Yonhap News)