South Korea is forming a new ministry to increase the birth rate
Last Updated on July 3, 2024 9:20 am
South Korea is constantly faced with the problem of a declining birth rate and a growing elderly population. Therefore, to solve this problem, the country is going to launch a new ministry called the Ministry of Population Strategy.
This plan was unveiled after a high-level meeting with the ruling party last Monday (July 1), several government officials said. They said the government would propose an amended law in parliament by July to launch the ministry.
If the law passes, Korea’s new ministry will be able to focus more on strategy and planning for population-related issues and act as a control tower on issues such as declining birth rates, an aging population, the workforce and immigration.
While the ministry was formed with the objective of population growth, it will help formulate long-term strategies. Which is currently being managed by the Ministry of Health and Finance of the country.
South Korean government officials said the Ministry of Population Strategy will also be in charge of allocating and coordinating budgets to combat the declining birth rate.
In the interim, the current Minister of Education to head the new ministry will serve as Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs.
According to the country’s government officials, the ministry, once launched, will be able to conduct research and analysis on population data and plans to strengthen population growth campaigns and campaigns to address demographic challenges.
The Korean government has predicted that the new ministry could be operational following the necessary procedures about three months after the passage of the amendment bill.
Besides, the ‘Presidential Committee on Aging Society and Population Policy’ will work under the new name of the Ministry of Population which has already been named ‘Committee on Population Crisis Response’.
The government’s reorganization plan also included the creation of a new minister for political affairs, who would be responsible for increasing communication between the government and parliament and serve as a member of the cabinet.
However, the restructuring plan did not include the abolition of the Gender Equality and Family Ministry, although the ministry focused on women’s rights was removed from the controversial position of the Yoon Suk Yeol government.
Source: The Korean Times