[Reporter’s Notebook] Politicians Squander Population Policy Measures

“How are we supposed to discuss population measures in this situation?” A government official I recently met said this with a worried expression.

Discussions to prepare for low birth rates and rapid population decline have been buried in political strife. The trigger was the ‘Hungary model’ mentioned by former Low Birthrate and Aging Society Vice Chairperson Na Kyung-won on the 5th. The Hungary model is a large-scale childbirth encouragement project that started in Hungary in 2019. When planning to have children, the state lends money, and the more children born, the more the principal and interest are forgiven.

The Presidential Office rebutted within a day, saying, "There is a significant difference from the policy direction of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration." Ahn Sang-hoon, Senior Secretary for Social Affairs, held a briefing at the Yongsan Presidential Office and said, “This is only the individual's personal opinion and unrelated to government policy.” Despite being inconsistent with the Yoon Seok-yeol administration’s stance and government officials showing reluctance, the fact that former Vice Chairperson Na spoke about it publicly became the root of the problem.

In political circles, the cause of the situation is seen as former Vice Chairperson Na’s possible run for party leader. Na Kyung-won is the leading candidate for the next leader of the People Power Party, with the highest approval ratings. The gap between her and the so-called ‘Yoon core officials (Yoon Haekgwan)’ candidates is overwhelming. The unusual criticism from the Presidential Office also began the day after Na hinted at her candidacy.

The problem is that political strife has made discussions on population measures difficult. Frontline departments should listen openly to various ideas and establish necessary measures, but they have started to watch the political atmosphere. Officials said they must align with the Presidential Office’s stance but find it difficult to completely ignore the claims of a leading party leader candidate. Whether liked or not, the Hungary model can no longer even be reviewed. Other policies with strong cash support characteristics are also becoming subject to caution.

Politicians are said to worry about the next election, while statesmen worry about the next generation. If urgent population measures for the next generation are ruined just because of a single ruling party leader position, then they should be called politicians. South Korea is the only country in the world with a total fertility rate below 1, indicating a severe population decline. Without proper measures, the damage will fall on future generations. Politicians must step away from low birthrate and population issues.