Public Times — The Public Servants' Union Federation of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, chaired by Shin Dong-geun, took to the National Assembly on May 1, the first Labor Day designated as a legal holiday, to press two long-standing demands: extending the statutory retirement age to 65 and restoring political rights for public servants.
On May 1, the federation staged a press conference on the steps of the National Assembly's main building under the banner "Restore Political Rights for Public Servants and Teachers; Urge Extension of Retirement Age to 65."
The event aimed to push lawmakers to address an "income cliff" affecting 1.2 million civil servants and 500,000 teachers and to restore their political rights as citizens.
Having secured the renaming of Labor Day and its designation as a legal holiday, the federation said it will now pursue the next objectives: guaranteeing political rights and raising the retirement age.
About 300 people attended, including federation chair Shin Dong-geun, leaders from affiliated unions, and lawmakers Park Hae-cheol and Park Hong-bae of the National Assembly's Climate, Energy, Environment and Labor Committee, along with Education Committee member Baek Seung-ah.
The federation sharply criticized the government and the legislature for failing to implement the measures promised during the 2015 public pension reform to close the income gap—promises that remain unfulfilled more than a decade later.
Specifically, pension eligibility has been pushed back to age 65 while the legal retirement age remains 60, creating a period after retirement during which former civil servants do not receive pension benefits.
The federation demanded that the government and lawmakers immediately honor this broken social promise and pass legislation to extend the retirement age to 65 to protect public servants' livelihoods.
It also highlighted problems with current laws that broadly prohibit public servants and teachers from joining political parties or engaging in political activity.
"Political neutrality refers to impartiality in performing official duties; it should not require forfeiting citizens' political rights," the federation said. It urged lawmakers to act on recommendations from the U.N., the International Labour Organization and the National Human Rights Commission to amend the law and guarantee political rights for public servants and teachers.
Chair Shin Dong-geun warned, "Even on Labor Day—a day meant to honor workers—public servants and teachers remain in a blind spot when it comes to labor and political rights." He called on both the ruling party and the opposition to enact the necessary legislation without delay.
Democratic Party lawmakers Park Hae-cheol, Park Hong-bae and Baek Seung-ah, who attended the conference, voiced their support for legislative efforts to restore the legitimate rights of public servants.
Senior Reporter Seonggon Kim gsgs@public25.com
