"We Must Build a Country Where Raising Children Is Possible with the Resolve That a 90% National Debt Is Acceptable"

Former Lawmaker Yoo Seung-min's Sharp Criticism of Low Birthrate and Aging Population Measures
Labor Hours and Cash Support Policy Direction Must Change

Former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min evaluated the first meeting of the Presidential Committee on Low Fertility and Aging Society, held one year after President Yoon Suk-yeol's inauguration, as "disappointing" on the 28th. He earnestly advised that to raise the fertility rate to the level of advanced countries, sound fiscal policy must be abandoned, and policies such as the ban on cash support should also be discarded.

Through social media (SNS) on the same day, former lawmaker Yoo said, "Solving the population crisis, with the fertility rate plummeting to 0.78 in 2022 and the number of births dropping to 249,000, is the most important national task," adding, "The meeting held today, almost a year after the inauguration, is too late."

He stated, "Past administrations, including the Moon Jae-in and Park Geun-hye governments, bear great responsibility for neglecting the low fertility issue," and added, "Considering the seriousness and urgency of the population problem going forward, it is much more important for the current government to present fundamental solutions than to blame past governments." For the same reason, former lawmaker Yoo pointed out, "I am very disappointed with the measures presented by the Yoon Suk-yeol administration today."

Former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min. Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

Regarding the government's measures, he asked, "Do they really think that these policies can fundamentally solve the low fertility problem?" and suggested, "The goals of population policy must be clearly and specifically set." Former lawmaker Yoo said, "The primary goal is to mobilize all policies to double the current fertility rate of 0.78 to the OECD average of 1.6," and added, "To achieve this first goal, South Korea urgently and boldly needs to introduce groundbreaking low fertility measures that surpass the policies implemented by countries like France, Sweden, and Germany, which have had some success in solving population problems."

He said, "Today's announcement does not show such bold and groundbreaking policies," and criticized, "It is merely a rehash of existing policies, proven ineffective." He emphasized, "The core of the policy is to enable young people, who want to date, marry, and raise children if they have the time and financial freedom, to fully have economic and time resources," and added, "If we can create a country where people want to raise children, we must be prepared to invest in the future with fiscal spending even if the current national debt ratio of 50% rises to 80% or 90%."

He also called for a fundamental change in policy direction regarding the current government's proposal to revise working hours. Former lawmaker Yoo said, "The proposal to revise working hours to 69 hours per week should be abolished to overcome low fertility and achieve work-family balance, and reforms such as maternity leave, parental leave, shared parenting between men and women, flexible working hours, and telecommuting should be implemented boldly."

He urged the government to abandon its reluctance toward cash support. He advised, "Cash support related to childbirth and childcare, such as child allowances, childcare fees, parental benefits, parental leave, and infertility support, should be redesigned more thoroughly and sufficiently than in France or Sweden." Former lawmaker Yoo said, "The challenge of overcoming the world's worst low fertility and aging population must start with the realization that it cannot be solved by the methods used so far," and earnestly hoped, "I sincerely hope that the Yoon Suk-yeol administration's groundbreaking low fertility measures will start anew from now."