[Herald Business — Reporter Lee Tae-hyung] Kim Jin-o, vice chair of the Presidential Committee on Low Birthrate and Aging, said, “We need to move beyond treating low fertility and population aging as separate problems and reframe policy from a population-strategy perspective that integrates work–family balance, education, caregiving, housing, local communities and immigration.”
On the 6th, Kim met with the private-sector members for an introductory meeting and roundtable, urging them to proactively identify new policy initiatives based on their professional fields and on-the-ground experience as the government develops its first national population strategy.
The 12 private-sector members appointed last month represent a broad mix of ages, regions and sectors, bringing wide-ranging experience and expertise across population-related issues beyond just low fertility and aging.
In particular, the committee said its practical insight and expertise will be significantly strengthened by the participation of Kim Jeong-seok, former president of the Korean Association of Population Studies, who has studied domestic demographic change for decades and helped shape policy direction; Sun Cho-rong, a high school teacher who brings perspectives from the education field; and Lee Su-myeong, secretary-general of a social cooperative and a representative in their 20s who directly experiences the low-fertility challenge.
During their two-year terms, these members will take part in discussions on the basic plan for the population strategy and serve as policy advisors.
The committee said it will develop a proactive population strategy to address demographic shifts, relying on close communication with the new private-sector members.
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