President Lee Jae-myung will announce a new national population strategy and policy direction on October 14 to address changes in the country's demographic structure.
The Blue House announced on October 13 that President Lee will host a vision launch event for the citizen-led government population strategy, themed "Changing the Game of Population in Korea!" at the Blue House's guesthouse that afternoon.
About 120 attendees will include members of the Population Strategy Committee from both government and private sectors, representatives from the citizen participation group, and stakeholders from various fields such as business, religion, and academia.
During the event, the key details of the "First National Population Strategy Basic Plan," established by the newly expanded Population Strategy Committee under the Low Birthrate and Aging Society Committee, will be revealed. This committee was formed following the implementation of the Population Strategy Basic Act on September 10.
The government plans to shift from its previous focus on increasing birth rates to a comprehensive population strategy that encompasses youth, childbirth and parenting, regional issues, aging, age-tech, and immigration.
The Population Strategy Committee will be responsible for analyzing and forecasting long-term demographic changes, setting policy goals and directions, establishing a five-year basic plan and annual implementation plans, adjusting investment directions, and evaluating policies.
The committee's membership has been expanded from 25 to a maximum of 40 members. New participants include ministers from the Ministry of Science and ICT, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises and Startups, as well as senior secretaries for population strategy and social policy. They will discuss issues related to international population movement, immigration policies, fostering new industries, and income and employment bases.
Four specialized committees will also be established under the committee, focusing on social strategy, economic strategy, coordination and evaluation, and immigration. The immigration committee will oversee policies for attracting talented individuals from abroad and for the settlement and integration of immigrants.
The event will feature two main topics for public participation discussions. The first topic will address creating a society where "everyone can have hope and choose the life they want, regardless of where they live," encompassing youth, childbirth, parenting, and regional policies. The second topic will focus on "a sustainable society where everyone is respected and lives together," covering aging, age-tech, and immigration policies.
This event will also mark the official start of activities for the 100-member Citizen Participation Group. This group is designed to create a public forum for citizens to directly design population policies, with proposed opinions reviewed by relevant ministries for incorporation into policy.
The participation group consists of 30 members each from their 20s and 30s, and 20 members each from their 40s and those aged 50 and above. The government stated that it has ensured representation and diversity by considering gender, region, life stage, and experience.
The Citizen Participation Group will hold two discussion sessions on October 17 and November 21, with a performance report scheduled for December.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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