While policies that effectively support the elderly have long been challenges in South Korea, new attention is being paid to the other end of the spectrum: the low birth rate. Professor Emeritus (Konkuk University) and ICePP Visiting Scholar Wonshik Kim was featured in an opinion piece about a new birth rate policy for The JoongAng, one of the three largest newspapers in South Korea. Following the People Power Party and the Democratic Party’s pledge for a new low birth rate policy during the general election, President Yoon Suk Yeol appointed a new Presidential Committee Vice-Chairman for Low Birth Rate and Aging Society, signaling a commitment to substantial reform. Kim emphasizes the need for policies that financially support the elderly while encouraging young couples to have children through stable housing, child care, education, and careers.
Read the full article (in Korean) here.