Transition Team: "Yoon Government's Population Policy Needs Future Planning Due to Decline"

Suggestions to President-elect Yoon from TF under the Planning Committee of the Transition Team
"So far, the focus has been on easing low birthrate... Need to consider social systems suited to population decline"
"Governance is needed to ensure the president's will and responsibility are conveyed across ministries"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hye-min] The Presidential Transition Committee (PTC) has expressed the view that, regarding the new government's population policy, it is necessary to move away from the current policies focused on alleviating low birth rates and also design future policies that take into account the anticipated population decline. To this end, they proposed establishing a Basic Population Policy Act and effectively creating a presidential-level public-private committee.

The PTC's Planning Committee 'Population and Future Strategy Task Force (TF)' announced the results of its activities on the 1st at the PTC office in Tongui-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, under the theme "Population Policy Directions in Response to Changes in Population Structure." The announcement was made in the form of recommendations for the Yoon Seok-yeol administration's population policy direction, and a report was also submitted to the president-elect. Attending the announcement were Planning Committee Chair Won Hee-ryong and co-advisory committee chairs Cho Young-tae and Jeon Ju-hye.

Professor Cho Young-tae of Seoul National University College of Public Health, who served as an advisory committee chair, stated in the announcement, "Until now, projects have mainly been carried out in line with mitigation policies aimed at slowing the rapid decline in the number of births. However, now is the time when planning policies that create and design social systems suited to the predicted future (population decline), as well as adaptive policies, become more important."

Co-advisory committee chair Cho explained, "By viewing population issues from the perspective of planning and adaptation, we can anticipate the impacts of population changes and develop strategic policies," citing the working-age population as an example. The working population is expected to decrease by 12% from 2021 to 2031, which could lead to problems such as reduced tax revenue, aging human resources, and consequent productivity decline. In response, ideas such as extending retirement age to expand the workforce, maintaining productivity through retraining, and making work more flexible can be considered, according to the PTC's thinking.

Co-advisory committee chair Cho also noted, "In the 2030s, more than 55% of newborns will be born in the metropolitan area. This means that only about 90,000 to 110,000 newborns will be born annually in non-metropolitan areas." He explained, "Considering this, reforms of local administrative districts and reorganization of living environments can be undertaken, along with policies focused on national land balance and selective concentration of local industries."

Regarding the rapid increase in the ultra-aged population, he added, "Currently, we view them as a dependent population, but they are also the age group with the most assets." He emphasized, "While providing social security, there should also be regulatory reforms to actively foster the silver industry, so that the ultra-aged society does not become a burden moving in only one direction."

The PTC set five major population strategy areas: ▲Reducing disparities ▲Intergenerational coexistence ▲Sustainable growth ▲Safety and residential conditions ▲Mitigating the impact of population decline, and proposed legal reforms, governance establishment, and convergence research to realize these goals.

Co-advisory committee chair Cho stressed, "First, the Basic Population Policy Act must be enacted," and added, "Governance that can convey the president's will and responsibility across ministries must also be established." He further suggested, "Active convergence research involving various specialized fields and population statistics should be conducted."

Regarding governance, he said, "It must be super-governmental, bipartisan, and cross-ministerial. I don't think it should be handled by a single ministry." He continued, "Internally, we discussed that if a public-private committee is created, a team overseeing population should be established there, with budget adjustment authority and deliberation rights, so that it can play a role in drawing up the blueprint."

On the relation to the reorganization of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, he was reserved, saying, "I was referring to viewing population from a different perspective." Co-advisory committee chair Jeon Ju-hye said, "The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family also has a role, but the Low Birthrate and Aging Committee has taken a more leading role in low birthrate issues," and requested, "Please separate the roles of population and the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family." Planning Committee Chair Won Hee-ryong explained, "The specific projects that the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family has been responsible for so far cannot be abolished," and added, "Since we announced the principle of discussing population policy after the government is launched, this is completely unrelated."

Chair Won also emphasized regarding the focus on planning and adaptive policies for population decline, "This is not a conflicting concept of reducing the proportion of mitigation policies for population decline. Mitigation policies must continue to reduce shocks." He stressed, "However, focusing on only one aspect has led to ineffectiveness and neglect of long-term issues, so we intend to proceed differently from now on."

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