"'Bulchulma' Yoo Seung-min Speaks Out After 3 Weeks... 'Solving Low Birthrate'"

"Na Kyung-won Politically Dismissed"
Attention on Side Support Amid 'Cheon Ha-ram Storm'

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min, who had been inactive for a while after declaring he would not run in the People Power Party's leadership election at the end of last month, resumed activities for the first time in about three weeks. He did so by calling for "solving low birth rates" through social networking services (SNS).

On the 22nd, Yoo posted on SNS, "What is the Yoon Seok-yeol administration doing to overcome the population crisis as its one-year term passes?" He added, "(So far, the only measures) are parental benefits and parental leave. Even the expansion of parental leave has yet to see any progress in legal amendments. Although regional balanced development is said to be the solution, it remains just words," raising his voice.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

It has been about three weeks since he declared on SNS on the 31st of last month that he would not run. At that time, he said, "I will not run for party leader. I will endure and wait for the right time," and remained inactive for a while afterward.

Yoo said, "The president and the government are in their positions to overcome the population crisis. France, Sweden, Germany, and Japan are countries that have succeeded in reversing the decline in birth rates," emphasizing, "There is no reason why South Korea cannot succeed where these countries have. The issue lies in the philosophy, will, and actions of the leadership."

He had previously urged the Yoon administration to prepare measures, criticizing the lack of low birth rate policies. Yoo stated, "Due to repeated failures of past governments, the golden time to overcome low birth rates has already passed several times. The coming times are the last moments to prevent the extinction of South Korea," and added, "Before things get worse, the president and government must do everything necessary to overcome low birth rates."

Recently, as candidate Cheon Ha-ram, who is part of the 'Lee Jun-seok faction,' has caused a stir in the People Power Party leadership election, Yoo's resumption of SNS activities has drawn attention to whether he will provide side support to the 'Lee Jun-seok faction.' On SNS, he mentioned the dismissal of former lawmaker Na Kyung-won from the position of Vice Chair of the Low Birth Rate and Aging Society Committee, saying, "The Vice Chair of the Low Birth Rate and Aging Society Committee was politically appointed and politically dismissed. If President Yoon truly had conviction in overcoming the population crisis, such appointments and dismissals would never be a farce," and questioned, "If the 'Hungarian-style loan forgiveness policy' to overcome low birth rates does not align with the Yoon Seok-yeol administration's national agenda, then what exactly is the administration's low birth rate policy?"

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