Iksan tragedy raises questions about welfare delivery system

Home > Opinion > Editorials

Iksan tragedy raises questions about welfare delivery system

Published: 23 May. 2025, 00:00

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Ministry of Health and Welfare [YONHAP]

The recent deaths of a mother and daughter in Iksan, North Jeolla, have left many in Korea grappling with questions about the nation’s welfare safety net. Despite existing support systems designed to assist families in crisis, the system failed to reach those in most urgent need.

On May 18, the bodies of a woman in her 60s and her daughter in her 20s were discovered. The mother was found outside her apartment with a note and a key, stating that her daughter was inside. Investigators believe the daughter had died more than a month earlier, likely from complications related to depression and anxiety. The mother, devastated by her loss, appears to have taken her own life.

Public concern deepened after it was revealed that the family’s welfare benefits had been suspended in January 2023. For 18 years, the family had received monthly support for living expenses and medical costs. But when the eldest daughter secured employment, their household income rose, triggering the termination of roughly 1 million won per month in support. Although her earnings did not substantially improve the household’s financial standing, the benefits were cut under the current rules.

In a tragic twist, the mother and second daughter became eligible again for welfare in January this year, after the eldest daughter married and officially moved out. But they never reapplied. Korea’s welfare system requires recipients to submit a formal request and consent to share financial data. For reasons unknown, the women never initiated the process.

Had they reapplied and resumed receiving benefits, their situation might not have become so desperate. The system’s heavy reliance on recipient initiative — known as the “application-based” model — has long been criticized. Without a formal application, individuals may remain invisible to the system, even when they qualify.

Worryingly, the mother and daughter also slipped through Korea’s “crisis signal” system, which monitors 47 indicators such as utility disconnection, unpaid health insurance premiums, or overdue telephone bills. Despite their dire financial condition, the family had not missed payments, and thus, no red flags were triggered.

A SOS Life Line and high fences are installed at Mapo Bridge in Seoul on Feb. 27. [YONHAP]

Social workers say it would be ideal to monitor each case individually, but the reality is that many are already overwhelmed. Experts have suggested reforms, such as streamlining staffing and granting officials the authority to approve urgent aid without requiring full applications.

No single party can be solely blamed for this tragedy. But as Korea moves toward becoming a more comprehensive welfare state, the burden of responsibility lies with both policymakers and society. Presidential candidates making bold welfare promises should remember that no welfare program is effective unless it can reliably reach those who need it most.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.