What Principles Should Guide Policy for an Aging Society?

The debate over free subway rides for older people keeps returning in South Korea. One side wants to raise the eligibility age to reduce financial pressure and improve generational fairness. The other stresses older people’s right to mobility and the effect of transport access on their economic and social activity.

The columnist argues that the deeper issue is not which side wins this particular dispute. Policies on pensions, health care and care services may require different solutions, but they should be judged against shared principles, much as different sports follow different rules while retaining ideas of fair competition and respect.

Aging has often been framed as a problem of dependency and cost. Older people who face hardship in income, health or care clearly need support. But treating older people only as people who need protection can hide their experience, abilities and potential social roles. At the same time, making continued employment the ideal model of old age can stigmatize people who want to rest or cannot work.

The alternative is to guarantee opportunities for participation, not merely economic productivity. Participation may mean working or studying, caring for family and neighbors, maintaining relationships or joining community activities. It should remain an opportunity rather than an obligation.

People’s needs change with their health, income and living conditions, including during old age itself. Someone may need support after illness, loss of income or increased care needs, while at another point being able to participate more fully. The columnist therefore proposes a policy principle that combines participation with protection: open opportunities for those who want and can participate, while providing income, housing, medical care and support services to those who need them.

That principle applies beyond older people. Young and middle-aged adults can also experience periods when participation becomes difficult and assistance is necessary. The column argues that protection is not a special benefit reserved for one generation, but a social safeguard anyone may need during life. A new national population strategy should begin by making that shared principle clear.