조기퇴직의 역설과 사회제도의 구조적 지체 : 연금수급연령 전 퇴직한 고령자를 중심으로

South Korea’s social system was designed based on the idea that people would transition from full-time employment to full retirement after entering the labor market and securing a stable job until reaching retirement age. However, work life is becoming increasingly non-standardized at both ends of the retirement spectrum. Nevertheless, social and policy attention in our society remains focused on age-based retirement legislation and the institutionalization of continued employment after retirement. However, support for early retirees’ reemployment remains relatively marginal. This study uses data from the Korea Welfare Panel to analyze retirees who have worked for at least 10 years prior to the start of the analysis (Waves 1) and leave their career job during the analysis period (Waves 1– 18). The results show that among those retirees before reaching the legal national pension eligibility age, 41.3% continued working in their main job while 58.7% had retired. Second, 82.9% of early retirees did not leave the labor market. It suggests that continuing to work after retirement has become more commonplace compared with the case in the mid-2000s. Third, although there is no statistical difference in the probability of reemployment between those who retired from their main jobs in their 30s or 40s and those who retired after age 50, the probability of holding temporary jobs upon reemployment was found to be high. This is the paradox of early retirement. Although institutionalizing continued employment after retirement is necessary, establishing systems to address the social risks arising from this trend is crucial as well.