President Yoon Suk-yeol has declared a “demographic national emergency” in South Korea, outlining a comprehensive strategy to combat the country’s ultra-low birth rates and demographic crisis with a series of bold policy measures and initiatives.
On Jun. 19, President Yoon declared, “We will undertake nationwide, all-out efforts until we overcome the issue of low birth rates.” During a meeting of the Presidential Committee on Aging Society and Population Policy at the HD Hyundai Asan Hall in Bundang-gu, Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, he emphasized, “The most fundamental and fatal problem is the demographic crisis caused by ultra-low birth rates.”
He cited the example of the ancient city-state of Sparta, which, despite its prime, rapidly declined due to population decrease, noting, “This holds significant implications for our society today.” This was the second time President Yoon chaired a meeting of the committee, following the first one in Mar. 2023.
President Yoon announced that the newly established, tentatively named “The Ministry of Population Strategy Planning” would take over from the previously promised “Low Birth Rate Response Planning Ministry” during his two-year public report last month. The minister of this department will also serve as the deputy prime minister for social affairs, overseeing policies on low birth rates, aging society, and immigration to formulate a long-term national development strategy for the population.
Yoon emphasized that the newly established Population Strategy Planning Department would be endowed with pre-review authority over the budget for low birth rate countermeasures and pre-consultation rights on local government projects, functioning as a powerful control tower.
Until the Population Strategy Planning Department is fully operational, President Yoon stated that emergency meetings to address the ultra-low birth rates would be held monthly under the leadership of the Presidential Committee on Aging Society and Population Policy. He also urged the National Assembly to cooperate to establish the Population Strategy Planning Department swiftly and set up a national all-out response system.
Regarding work-life balance, President Yoon announced plans to increase the current 6.8% usage rate of paternity leave to 50% during his term and to raise the childcare leave pay to 2.5 million won ($1,807.96) per month for the first three months.
He also announced plans to extend paternity leave from 10 to 20 days and raise the age limit for children eligible for reduced working hours from 8 to 12 years old. In addition, President Yoon plans to introduce a new system for short-term childcare leave that can be taken every two weeks. Furthermore, he proposed providing about $860 per month as replacement labor support to employers for employees on childcare leave.
In terms of childcare policy, President Yoon stated, “The national responsibility system for children aged 0 to 11 will be completed within this term by transitioning to public care.” He aims to implement free education and care for children aged 3 to 5 and ensure that children of all grades in elementary schools across the country can access the after-school programs they need.
As a solution to housing issues for families with children, President Yoon mentioned enabling priority home purchases, increasing housing subscription opportunities, and expanding the special supply ratio for parents with newborns. He also promised low-interest loans for newlywed couples to buy homes or secure rental deposits, with additional preferential interest rates for each childbirth. Furthermore, he pledged to enhance tax credits for marriage and expand child tax credits.
The president’s meeting included various policy stakeholders, such as working mothers, fathers with multiple children, young people, parents, and corporate representatives, as well as appointed civilian members of the Presidential Committee on Aging Society and Population Policy. The participants shared their experiences and challenges related to marriage, childbirth, and childcare.
