정년연장에 따른 고용형태 및임금체계 개편에 관한 연구(시론) - 일본의 고용연장사례를 통한 실증적 분석을 중심으로 -

Abstract

Due to the increasingly aging population in Korea, legislation was passed in April 2013 that sets the retirement age at 60. The era of retirement at age 60 has started. The population of Korea is aging at an unprecedented rate, and precarious employment and high poverty risks for the elderly led to the introduction of a mandatory retirement age of 60. In particular, in spite of Korea’s seriously low birth rate and rapidly aging population, a lot of workers have been retiring from their companies in their early or mid-fifties. Of course, retirement is an inevitable consequence for workers; however, early retirement becomes a problem for a rapidly aging society. Moreover, a considerable number of retirees have difficulty receiving public pensions. Even when workers are entitled to receive a public pension, some workers experience an income gap period due to the increased age at which people are entitled to receive pensions. It is also difficult for the retired elderly to seek reemployment. In this regard, the purpose of introducing mandatory retirement at age 60 is positively assessed. However, unlike other developed countries that have been gradually raising the retirement age with a thorough preparatory period, Korea has experienced severe conflicts between labor and management regarding the reformed wage structure. This is the result of political compromise without any preparation. Meanwhile, the option of raising the retirement age to 65, like the Japanese have done, has been asserted from within political circles. In the long-term, in order to be ready for the super-aged society which Korean society will reach in 2026, creating an employment environment in which workers can work until they are 65 years old is a reasonable strategy. The important point is to create a base of social discussion for the employment extension and to design the system so it is more suitable for Korean reality and society. Given the experiences of the past, it is important to harmonize employment type and wage structure design with the employment extension to ensure the success of this employment policy. Therefore, this paper aims to analyze Japanese cases, since Japan has already experienced an aged society with regard to the legal arguments surrounding the employment extension due to the aging population. The paper then suggests creating comprehensive retirement legislation that includes employment type and wage structure, which Korean society needs to move toward the advent of an aged society.