Six social welfare organizations sign an MOU to introduce a retirement pension system for social welfare workers at the Korea Association of Social Welfare Centers in Mapo-gu, Seoul, on Thursday. The signing ceremony was attended by the Korea Social Welfare Mutual Aid Association, the Korea Association of Social Welfare Centers, the Korea Association of Welfare Centers for the Disabled, the Korea Association of Senior Welfare Centers, the National Council of Community Child Centers, and the Korea Association of Mental Health Rehabilitation Facilities. [Korea Social Welfare Mutual Aid Association]
Six social welfare organizations sign an MOU to introduce a retirement pension system for social welfare workers at the Korea Association of Social Welfare Centers in Mapo-gu, Seoul, on Thursday. The signing ceremony was attended by the Korea Social Welfare Mutual Aid Association, the Korea Association of Social Welfare Centers, the Korea Association of Welfare Centers for the Disabled, the Korea Association of Senior Welfare Centers, the National Council of Community Child Centers, and the Korea Association of Mental Health Rehabilitation Facilities. [Korea Social Welfare Mutual Aid Association]

The Korea Social Welfare Mutual Aid Association signed a joint agreement Thursday to advance a dedicated retirement pension system for social welfare workers, aimed at securing stable post-retirement income for those in the sector. The signing took place at the Korea Association of Social Welfare Centers in Mapo-gu, Seoul.

The ceremony brought together five other organizations alongside the mutual aid association: the Korea Association of Social Welfare Centers, the Korea Association of Welfare Centers for the Disabled, the Korea Association of Senior Welfare Centers, the National Council of Community Child Centers, and the Korea Association of Mental Health Rehabilitation Facilities.

The proposed retirement pension for social welfare workers is a post-retirement income security system being developed by the Korea Social Welfare Mutual Aid Association to help frontline welfare workers maintain financial stability after leaving the workforce.

Under the agreement, the six organizations will build a cooperative framework with the shared goal of introducing the pension system and will begin coordinated efforts to lay the necessary policy groundwork and broaden public support.

Specifically, the six groups agreed to jointly pursue legislative and regulatory reforms needed to introduce the pension system, build public awareness of the need for such a program, gather opinions from frontline welfare workers and submit policy proposals, and cooperate with relevant institutions including the National Assembly and the government.

The agreement marks a shift in how the sector frames the issue — treating retirement income security for social welfare workers not as a challenge for individual organizations but as a shared responsibility of the entire welfare community, with all six groups committing to work together toward legislation and formal adoption of the system.

"Ensuring a stable retirement for social welfare workers who dedicate themselves to improving the welfare and quality of life of the public is a vital foundation for building a sustainable welfare society," said Kim Yong-ha, chairman of the Korea Social Welfare Mutual Aid Association. "We will do our utmost to unite the voices of the social welfare community, actively cooperate with the National Assembly, the government and other relevant institutions, and drive forward the necessary legal reforms and the introduction of the retirement pension system."


thlee@heraldcorp.com