Statistics Korea and UNFPA Hold 'International Symposium on Low Birthrate and Aging'

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] The Statistics Korea announced on the 9th that it held the '4th Low Fertility and Aging Symposium' via video conference in cooperation with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

Statistics Korea and UNFPA are promoting joint projects on low fertility and aging based on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), and as part of this, they have been holding an international conference annually since 2017. This symposium, held over two days on the 8th and 10th of this month, shares perceptions and attitudes between the younger and older generations regarding low fertility and aging under the theme 'The voices of generations.'

On the first day, discussions focus on the younger generation's attitudes and changing perspectives on childbirth, work-family balance, and hopes for healthy aging. On the second day, the symposium will mainly examine the older generation's perceptions of changes in households and family life, as well as policies needed to improve the living conditions of the elderly.

In particular, experts from various fields, including individual countries seriously facing low fertility and aging issues such as Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, and Poland, as well as major international organizations like WHO and the private sector, participate as presenters and panelists to engage in open discussions.

Commissioner Kang Shinwook mentioned Korea's case, where the world's lowest fertility rate and rapid aging may lead to natural population decline starting this year, in his opening remarks. He emphasized the necessity of international cooperation, including the development of related statistics and policy sharing, as low fertility is not a problem limited to a few countries.

Furthermore, he introduced Statistics Korea's efforts to produce more detailed statistics necessary for domestic policy formulation, such as 'Youth Statistics,' 'Elderly Statistics,' and 'Women Statistics,' as well as the recent development of 'Parental Leave Statistics' and 'Single-Person Household Statistics.' He pledged to contribute to spreading the international agenda with greater responsibility through support for related research and analysis and capacity building in developing countries.

Meanwhile, Statistics Korea stated that through hosting this international symposium, it expects to not only raise international awareness of low fertility and aging issues but also to lead the strengthening of partnerships and cooperation among domestic related sectors, including the public, private, and academic fields.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.