New Office for Low Birth Rate Response, President’s Office to Expand to 8 Chiefs of Staff
President Yoon Suk-yeol instructed on the 13th to prepare for the establishment of a new office for low birth rate response, following his announcement of the establishment plan for the low birth rate response team. Spokesperson Kim Soo-kyung conveyed that the President gave this instruction during a morning meeting with senior secretaries.
An official from the President’s Office explained, “The talk about the low birth rate response department came up during the President’s press conference, and if that happens, we would need a chief of staff to focus on the low birth rate issue within the President’s Office.”
President Yoon, during his 2nd anniversary press conference on the 9th, revealed plans for the establishment of a low birth rate response department led by a Deputy Prime Minister-level minister, urging the National Assembly’s cooperation for government organizational reforms.
The official stated, “The low birth rate issue is one of the biggest challenges for our society, crucial for the nation’s sustainability,” and added that establishing a separate office to address the issue shows the government’s strong determination to tackle it effectively.
However, specific tasks and roles of the new office for low birth rate response have not been finalized yet. The official mentioned that there is no set timeline for completing all preparations and that they will listen to various opinions and swiftly establish the office with the right person in charge.
With the establishment of the new office for the low birth rate response, the President’s Office will expand from the current ‘3 directors (chief of staff for secretariat, policy, national security) and 7 chiefs of staff (domestic affairs, civil affairs, civil society, public relations, economy, social affairs, science and technology)’ to include a chief of staff for low birth rate, making a total of 8 chiefs of staff.