South Korea will retain basic pension coverage for the lowest-income 70% of seniors in 2027 while introducing a differentiated Ha-hu payment system that adds 30,000 Korean won per month for the bottom 30%. The Ministry of Health and Welfare said the Cabinet approved a 2027 budget bill worth 149 trillion Korean won on September 1, about 11 trillion Korean won above this year, for social safety nets, regional and essential medical care, and stronger care services. The ministry’s total expenditure will be 148.7697 trillion Korean won, up 8.2% from this year’s 137.4949 trillion Korean won main budget, with 25.7 trillion Korean won allocated to basic pensions. Under the reform, 3.48 million seniors in the bottom 30% will receive 380,000 Korean won monthly, 1.74 million in the 30–45% bracket will receive 359,000 Korean won adjusted for inflation, and 2.9 million in the 45–60% bracket will continue receiving 350,000 Korean won. The reduction applied to married couples in the bottom 45% will fall from 20% to 10%, while 110,000 people previously excluded because of occupational pensions will become eligible if they are within the bottom 45%. Married couples in the bottom 30% will receive 684,000 Korean won, up from 560,000 Korean won. Son Ho-jun, the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s pension policy director, said the additional payment was based on poverty levels and, alongside other policies, is expected to reduce elderly poverty more effectively. A planned shift from percentage-based eligibility to a fixed income threshold was not adopted for 2027 because the ministry said broader social discussions involving a multilayered pension system and the National Pension Service are needed.