Chungnam Launches Research Project for Establishing 'Basic Population Policy Plan'

[Asia Economy (Hongseong) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] Chungnam Province is responding to changes in the population structure caused by low birth rates and aging by establishing a ‘Basic Population Policy Plan’.

The province announced on the 27th that it will hold a ‘Kick-off Meeting for the Establishment of the Basic Population Policy Plan (2023-2027) Research Project’.

The research project is being undertaken by the Korea Institute of Public Administration and will continue until December this year. Based on statistics and data, the project will analyze the changing population structure and characteristics of each city and county, forecast the population by region 30 years from now, and seek key promotion plans for implementing population-related policies.

In particular, through this research project, the province plans to identify fields that can be implemented first, mid- to long-term tasks, and proposals for the central government regarding legal and institutional aspects.

The total population of the Chungnam region was 2,119,296 as of last month, a decrease of 6,986 people (0.3%) compared to 2,126,282 in 2018.

Along with the recent population decline, the speed of aging is accelerating in Chungnam, increasing welfare demand and budget burdens. Above all, among the 15 cities and counties, nine?Taean, Yesan, Boryeong, Cheongyang, Gongju, Buyeo, Seocheon, Nonsan, and Geumsan?are currently at risk of local extinction, making the establishment of population policies more urgent.

The province expects that if this trend continues, by 2117, 12 cities and counties will see a population decrease of 60-80% compared to the current population, and 3 cities and counties will see a decrease of 40-60%, with the total population remaining at around 780,000.

Kim Seok-pil, Director of the Low Birthrate and Health Welfare Office of the province, said, “The province is promoting this research project to proactively and preemptively respond to population issues with a sense of crisis. We will do our best to accurately predict and respond to issues from low birth rates to aging and future economic and population structure changes through expert meetings and public opinion gathering, and to discover responsive projects.”