South Korea plans new ministry to address demographic decline

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
1 Jul 2024 15:28

South Korea is set to establish a new ministry focused on tackling low birth rates and an aging population, consolidating responsibilities from existing ministries and aiming to address demographic issues through a comprehensive national strategy.

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A worker hangs on a rope to adjust a national flag on the government complex building in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, February 25, 2019. (AP)

South Korea plans to establish a new ministry focused on demographic issues such as low birth rates and an aging population, according to a report by Yonhap news agency published on Monday. The initiative follows high-level meetings within the ruling party and involves amending the government organization act to pave the way for this new ministry, expected to be proposed in July.

This ministry will oversee the national strategy for demographic development, addressing issues including labor force, migration, and policies currently managed by health and financial ministries. It will consolidate budgets related to low birth rates and undertake public campaigns to raise awareness about demographic challenges. Additionally, the head of the ministry will also serve as the country's deputy prime minister for social affairs.

Japan has similar issues

Official figures released by the Japanese Health Ministry in February revealed a significant decline in the number of births in Japan last year, reaching a record low of 758,631.

This marks a 5.1% decrease from the previous year, indicating a concerning trend in Japan's demographic landscape.

The drop in births, amounting to 41,000 fewer newborns compared to the previous year, represents the largest gap recorded since such data has been documented.

This decline below the 760,000 mark has occurred much earlier than anticipated, as forecasted by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research, which had projected such a decline to happen by 2035, the Kyodo news agency reports.

In the late 1940s, the country experienced a baby boom, resulting in nearly 2.7 million births. A similar boom occurred in the 1970s. However, since then, Japan's population has been steadily declining, with the birth rate dropping below one million in 2016.

The first time Japan took notice of its low fertility rates was in 1989 when the country's Total Fertility Rate (TFR) was found to be 1.57, much lower than the 2.1 needed for a population to sustain itself.