Six in 10 South Koreans support raising the age threshold for senior preferential treatment from 65 to 70. Gallup Korea reported on May 2 that a nationwide survey of 1,002 adults aged 18 and older, conducted April 28–30, found 59% in favor. Thirty percent opposed, and 12% were undecided or refused to answer.
Support for raising the senior age ranged from 55% to 65% across all age groups. It was highest among respondents in their 30s (65%) and lowest among those in their 60s (55%).
By political ideology, 68% of progressives and 59% of conservatives backed raising the threshold. Sixty-one percent of moderates supported it, while 36% of respondents who declined to state their ideological leaning or said they didn’t know also expressed support.
In a comparable 2015 survey, 46% supported raising the senior age; by 2023 that figure had risen to 60%.
When asked who should provide for their retirement, 60% said “themselves.” Twenty-nine percent said “the government and society,” 4% said “their children,” 3% chose “other,” and 3% were undecided or refused to answer.
A majority in every age group said they should be responsible for their own retirement. That view was strongest among people in their 50s (65%) and 60s (71%).
Those who emphasized a government and societal role in retirement were more likely to identify as progressives (40%). Women (34%) were more likely than men (24%) to favor this view.
The survey used randomly generated mobile phone numbers and was conducted via telephone interviews. The margin of error is ±3.1 percentage points at the 95% confidence level; the contact rate was 39.2% and the response rate 13.3%.
