Civil society organizations calling for the abolition of the family support obligation criteria under the National Basic Livelihood Security System. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Aug. 28 (Korea Bizwire) — More than a decade after the suicide of three impoverished women in Seoul’s Songpa District shocked the nation and exposed deep flaws in the welfare system, South Korea’s government has unveiled its most ambitious blueprint yet to build what it calls a “zero poverty society.”
The Lee Jae-myung administration announced Wednesday that it will dismantle the most controversial barrier to welfare access — the family support obligation rule, which has long excluded applicants from receiving basic living or medical aid if they had parents or children deemed financially capable, even when no actual support was provided.
By 2027, the rule will be fully abolished for basic living subsidies, meaning assistance will be determined solely by an applicant’s income and assets. Medical assistance will follow on a phased basis, with the unjust “deemed support” practice abolished by 2026 and broader easing continuing through 2030.
At the same time, the government plans to harness artificial intelligence and big data to usher in what it calls a new era of “predictive welfare.” Under a forthcoming AI Welfare and Care Roadmap, algorithms will analyze utility shutoffs, overdue bills, medical and debt data to identify households at risk.
AI counselors will then provide first-line support and guide families to tailored benefits through an expanded “welfare membership” platform, reducing reliance on individuals applying for aid.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
The initiative is also aimed at relieving front-line civil servants, who shoulder heavy caseloads, by automating eligibility checks and benefit assessments.
Still, the plan faces steep hurdles. Expanding benefits will carry significant fiscal costs, and officials acknowledge the need to curb potential abuses, such as unnecessary long-term hospital stays.
Critics also warn of the enduring dilemma between “welfare and work”: while the government intends to raise the benefit threshold from 32 percent to 35 percent of median income by 2030, some economists caution that overly generous subsidies could discourage employment.
To address those concerns, Seoul will expand job-training and self-sufficiency programs for welfare recipients and support new social enterprises. Officials also concede that AI will never catch every case, particularly among the socially isolated, underscoring the continued need for community-level human networks.
“The true end to the Songpa tragedy will come not just from technology, but from a society that ensures no neighbor falls unseen,” the Ministry of Health and Welfare said in outlining the reforms.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
