Abstract
The graying of populations is emerging as an international issue around the world, and this is a problem that is rapidly advancing in Korea as well, signaling the need for financial preparations for the aged. For this purpose, various retirement pension systems are being employed as preparatory measures for the nation's elderly. Using data from 1474 people in the 2007 panel study of National Security for the Retired, the present work attempts to look at satisfaction rates with regard to public pension receipts for the national pension and special occupational pensions according to general characteristics and factors related to the preparation for an aging society. Satisfaction with retirement pension receipts according to the type of pension was high for special occupation retirement pensions, individual retirement pensions and the national retirement pension, in that order. Looking at satisfaction rates based on the general characteristics of pension recipients, the study revealed that for the national pension, satisfaction was highest for groups with above-average physical and psychological health, groups who think appropriate living expenses for the elderly are lower, groups in which a partner also earns income, and groups who had amply prepared for their expected living expenses in later life. Regarding special occupation retirement pensions, satisfaction was high for groups over the age of 70, groups with good psychological health, and groups sufficiently prepared for their living expenses in later expenses, compared to groups for which these factors did not apply. In terms of the relative influences impacting retirement pension recipient satisfaction, satisfaction with the national pension was highest when the primary source to cover elderly living expenses was a resource other than income earned by the recipient and their partner and/or income received from children. Concerning special occupation retirement pensions, satisfaction was highest among those whose education terminated before middle school, and for those in good physical health. Based on the above results, it is vital that plans exist for preparing sufficiently for the living expenses of the elderly and for facilitating the physical and psychological health of pension recipients. Plans are also necessary to, ensure that citizens are provided with easily accessible educational programs and activities regarding general installment savings and deposits, stocks and bonds, real estate investments, individual retirement pensions, private insurance, severance pay pensions, and public pensions.
