According to a report by Yonhap News Agency on the 9th, the number of people applying for a national pension early in South Korea has exceeded 1 million. This data reflects the current situation where retirees are being impacted by factors such as the “income cliff” and health insurance system adjustments, and are being forced to withdraw their pensions early to raise living expenses. According to data from the Korea National Pension Service, the number of early recipients in July 2025 was 1.007 million, the first time since the system was implemented in 1988 that it broke through the one million mark. In terms of gender distribution, there were 660,000 male recipients, about twice the size of women. According to relevant regulations in Korea, early pension can be received up to 5 years before the legal age, but the amount will be reduced by 6% for every 1 year in advance, and only 70% of the original amount can be received 5 years in advance. Despite loss of rights, some retirees still need to rely on early withdrawals to mitigate income interruptions after retirement.

According to a report by Yonhap News Agency on the 9th, the number of people applying for a national pension early in South Korea has exceeded 1 million. This data reflects the current situation where retirees are being impacted by factors such as the “income cliff” and health insurance system adjustments, and are being forced to withdraw their pensions early to raise living expenses. According to data from the Korea National Pension Service, the number of early recipients in July 2025 was 1.007 million, the first time since the system was implemented in 1988 that it broke through the one million mark. In terms of gender distribution, there were 660,000 male recipients, about twice the size of women. According to relevant regulations in Korea, early pension can be received up to 5 years before the legal age, but the amount will be reduced by 6% for every 1 year in advance, and only 70% of the original amount can be received 5 years in advance. Despite loss of rights, some retirees still need to rely on early withdrawals to mitigate income interruptions after retirement.