On June 19, President Yoon Suk Yeol announced, “Starting today, we declare a national emergency due to the population crisis and will operate a nationwide response system until we overcome the problem of low birth rates.”
At the Presidential Committee on Aging Society and Population Policy meeting held at HD Hyundai Asan Hall in Seongnam on June 19, Yoon said, “The population crisis caused by the ultra-low birth rate is the most fundamental and fatal among the various difficulties our society faces.” The meeting was held to discuss extraordinary measures to reverse the low birth rate trend, which breaks the lowest record every year.
It has been one year and three months since Yoon chaired a Low Birth Rate and Aging Committee meeting last March.
Yoon announced that he had decided on the name Population Strategy Planning Department for the Low Birth Rate Response Planning Department, which he had agreed to establish on the occasion of his second year in office. Yoon said, “We will comprehensively plan population policies that include measures for low birth rates, aging society, and immigration policies,” adding, “The minister, who will also serve as the Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs, will oversee social policies including education, labor, and welfare, and will devote himself to solving the low birth rates problem”
He also explained, “Like the Economic Planning Board in the past, we will grant the Population Strategy Planning Department the right to review low birth rate budgets in advance, the function of planning, evaluating, and adjusting population policies, as well as the right to consult in advance on local government projects.”
Yoon identified three critical areas for solving the low birth rate problem:
- Work-life balance
- Childcare
- Housing
Yoon said, “We will change our country where work and family life can coexist,” emphasizing, “We will raise the current 6.8% paternity leave usage rate to 50% during my term and also raise the 70% maternity leave usage rate to 80%.”
He further stated, “We will increase parental leave pay and drastically increase it to approximately $1925 per month for the first three months” adding, “We will also expand paternity leave from 10 to 20 days to establish a social environment where mothers and fathers can balance work and childcare together.”
Yoon stated, “We will pay approximately $924 per month to employers who hire replacements for employees on parental leave. The state will share the burden of colleagues and employers who leave their positions due to childcare.”
Regarding childcare, it was decided to transition to public care, where the state takes responsibility and completes state responsibility from 0 to 11 years old during the term.
Specifically, it is a policy to create free education for children 3 to 5 years old and to allow all grades in all elementary schools across the country to use the Nulbom program as they wish.
In the housing sector, additional subscription opportunities will be given to childbirth households, and the proportion of unique supplies for newborns will be increased.
Yoon asserted, “We will lend low-interest loans to newlyweds for home purchase and rent, and expand additional preferential interest rates every time they give birth.” He further explained, “We will introduce additional tax deductions for various marriage costs to reduce the burden of marriage for young people.”
Yoon said, “Until the Population Strategy Planning Department is launched, we will hold a Population Emergency Measures Meeting centered on the Low Birthrate and Aging Committee every month and check the policy,” and “Please cooperate with the National Assembly so that the Population Strategy Planning Department can be launched and a national response system can be built.”
At the meeting, Deputy Chairman Joo Hyung Hwan of the Low Birth Rate and Aging Committee, Minister Lee Jung Sik of the Ministry of Employment and Labor, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Lee Ju Ho, and Minister Park Sang Woo of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport each presented measures to solve the low birth rate problem.
About 80 people, including Chairman Kwon Oh Gap of HD Hyundai, Vice Chairman Chung Ki Sun of HD Hyundai, and representatives of working couples, multi-child fathers, youths, and parents, attended the meeting.
Before attending the meeting, Yoon visited the HD Hyundai workplace daycare center under the guidance of Kwon and Jung, encouraging the related officials.