Oh Se-hoon: "Low Birthrate Shock, I Will Do Everything as Seoul Mayor to Change It"

"If We Continue Like This, the National System Cannot Survive"

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon expressed his "desperate feelings" regarding last year's record low birth rate, stating, "If low birth rates continue like this, neither welfare nor the national system can be sustained."

On the 24th, Mayor Oh said through Facebook, "As the Mayor of Seoul, I am determined to 'change everything' and will prioritize allocating all possible resources to solve the low birth rate issue."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Mayor Oh emphasized that within the limits of the budget, all systems must be reorganized to be child-centered. He diagnosed, "If the government could provide housing, workplaces, and childcare expenses to those giving birth, the situation might improve somewhat, but it is not possible with limited resources. Using immigration as an alternative is also just a second-best option."

He continued, "We must accept all radical measures that we might have hesitated to consider in the past with an open mind," adding, "The introduction of foreign domestic helpers, which I proposed last year, was a result of such considerations."

Mayor Oh suggested, "We can first secure the low birth rate budget by setting concrete goals. We can also consider establishing a 'Children's Agency' responsible for low birth rate and child policies, similar to Japan."

Additionally, "Each of us is a precious being, yet derogatory terms like '○○chung' are rampant, and in this 'age of hatred,' dialogue is impossible when political views differ," he said, urging a shift in perception by stating, "Marriage and parenting are possible when men and women love and cooperate closely, but this atmosphere is problematic."

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