“Deepening Low Birth Rate Due to Lack of Young People Dreaming of Marriage and Childbirth”
“In 2072, 1 Working Age Adult to Support 1 Elderly Person”
Policy tasks proposed such as work-life balance and housing costs
Yoo: “If we solve the low birth rate problem, we may win a Nobel Prize. Let’s not give up”,
Yoo Hye-mi, Secretary for Low Birth Rate Response at the Presidential Office. Yonhap News,
, ‘[Seoul Economy]’,
,
, ‘Yoo Hye-mi, a secretary for low birth rate response at the presidential office, reaffirmed the policy to minimize direct support and consider more actively utilizing foreign labor as a measure to respond to the immediate issue of declining working-age population.’,
,
, ‘On KBS Radio on the same day, Secretary Yoo stated this.’,
,
, ‘Secretary Yoo diagnosed the deepening causes of the low birth rate as “young people have no room to dream of marriage and childbirth” and pointed out that “intense competition due to overcrowding in the capital region and difficult job seeking situations have complexly manifested.”‘,
,
, ‘While the birth rate is rapidly declining at an unprecedented rate, she also reiterated the severity of the demographic shift in our country which is undergoing rapid aging. While the average total fertility rate of OECD member countries decreased by about 7% from 1.7 in 2000 to 1.58 in 2021, South Korea experienced a 45% decrease during the same period from 1.48 to 0.81. On the other hand, the elderly population is rapidly increasing, and our country is expected to enter an ultra-aged society (where those aged 65 and over account for more than 20%) next year. While it took 35 years for Japan to transition from an aging society to an ultra-aged society, South Korea is projected to shorten this period to 25 years.’,
,
, ‘Secretary Yoo mentioned that “at the current trend, South Korea’s population is expected to decrease by about 30% by 2072” and pointed out that “if currently there are 4 working-age adults supporting 1 elderly person, by 2072, it will be a situation where 1 working-age adult has to bear the burden of 1 elderly person.”‘,
,
, ‘As the principle of the low birth rate response policy of the Yoon Suk-yeol government, Secretary Yoo presented effectiveness and sustainability. Secretary Yoo stated, “In terms of direct cash support, there are many research results that indicate that the effects are not significant and are short-term” and said, “We aim to design policies that are both effective and sustainable.” Additionally, she identified work-life balance, easing childcare burdens, and high housing costs as policy tasks.’,
,
, ‘As a measure to supplement the shortage of working-age population, the government is considering more actively accepting foreign labor. Secretary Yoo said, “Utilizing foreign labor can be one option” and emphasized the need to establish medium to long-term plans.’,
,
, ‘She further added, “It is necessary to comprehensively examine how foreign labor will be utilized, and with competition for (attracting) talent from abroad, how attractive South Korea can become as a choice” and mentioned that “if the Department of Population Strategy Planning is established, it can play a leading role.”‘,
,
, “Secretary Yoo also emphasized President Yoon Suk-yeol’s determination to address the low birth rate issue. Secretary Yoo conveyed that “when I first saw him, he said, ‘This problem is as difficult as solving ten mathematical puzzles. If we can solve it, we may win a Nobel Prize, so let’s not give up and work hard.'”,
,
,