[How Is Your Dream] Experts Say "President Must Take Action on Low Birthrate and Care Gap"

Chairman President Moon presides over Low Birthrate Committee meeting 1st time

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jeong] "We are well aware of the urgency of the low birthrate issue and will do our best. The president's attendance is important, and holding meetings frequently is also important."

This statement was made by President Moon Jae-in in December 2017, his first year in office, during a direct attendance at the Low Birthrate and Aging Society Committee. It was a call emphasizing the need for fundamental measures that boldly overcome the limitations of existing policies.

Three years later, in December last year, the committee announced the 4th Basic Plan for Low Birthrate and Aging Society (2021?2025), focusing on the introduction of infant allowances and the expansion of paternity leave. However, public opinion remains cold. With the total fertility rate hitting a historic low of 0.84, the prevailing assessment is that such measures cannot raise the declining birthrate.

The government has invested nearly 200 trillion won in the low birthrate issue from 2006 until last year, but it has been ineffective. Experts agree that since Korea's ultra-low birthrate problem is intertwined with complex social issues such as employment, education, and housing, the president, as the committee chairperson, must personally step in to seek political solutions.

Changing Social Structure is Key to Solving Low Birthrate... President is the Right Person
Low Birthrate Committee Faces Limitations Due to Departmental Self-Interest

Professor Yoon Hong-sik of Inha University’s Department of Social Welfare pointed out, "President Moon has chaired the committee meeting only once during his first year in office," adding, "It has been proven that simply approaching the issue with systems and money is no longer a solution." He further stated, "Ultimately, to increase the birthrate, the overall social structure must be changed, and the only person who can properly fulfill this role is the president."

Professor Jung Jae-hoon of Seoul Women’s University’s Department of Social Welfare also noted, "There are many government committees, but the ones chaired by the president are essentially the Job Committee and the Low Birthrate Committee." He criticized, "Although the previous government had almost neglected the committee, the current government 'revived' it and raised expectations by chairing the first meeting, but it has become no different from the previous administration, leading to growing disappointment."

The Low Birthrate Committee, chaired by the president and composed of seven ministers and 17 civilian members, requires intergovernmental cooperation to function properly, but the reality is otherwise due to departmental self-interest. A representative example is the 'mandatory after-school programs in elementary schools' initiative that the Low Birthrate Committee ambitiously pursued in 2017. The core idea was to publicize after-school programs to prevent career interruptions caused by childcare gaps for female workers with first-grade elementary school children.

This plan was welcomed by many dual-income couples but faced opposition from the Ministry of Education and the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union. Former Low Birthrate Committee Secretary-General Jang Yoon-sook lamented, "To promote the plan, I met with education officials several times to listen to their opinions and persuade them, but due to the complex interests involved, the Ministry of Education expressed reluctance."

Professor Jung emphasized, "In Germany, which succeeded in reversing its birthrate decline, social care concepts were integrated into education policies to implement social policy reforms that ensure children from low-income and migrant backgrounds receive quality education and care regardless of their parents' income and status." He stressed, "To solve the problem where middle-class families struggle with private education costs and low-income children are neglected, the political sphere must actively move even now."