Presidential Office on Low Birthrate Issue: "Reduce Excessive Competition and Promote Work-Family Balance"

Seong Tae-yoon Policy Director Briefing
Focus on Reversing Social Atmosphere Rather Than Astronomical Budget Support
Essential to Expand Medical School Quotas to Prepare for Low Birthrate and Aging Society

On the 18th, the Presidential Office stated regarding the government's reviewed low birthrate measures that the goal is to "reduce excessive competition while creating work forms that allow for the coexistence of work and family." Rather than pouring astronomical budgets into various policies to reverse the birthrate decline, the intention is to reform systems that encourage competitive societies such as education and work, expand jobs in local areas, and fundamentally reverse the 'social atmosphere reluctant to have children.'

Seong Tae-yoon, Policy Chief of the Presidential Office, said at a briefing at the Yongsan Presidential Office in the afternoon regarding low birthrate measures, "The birthrate issue is important not only for the current generation but also for future generations, so groundbreaking policies are necessary." The resolution of unnecessary excessive competition was pointed out by President Yoon as one of the causes of low birthrate at the Cabinet meeting on December 26 last year and again on the 1st of this month.

Seong emphasized, "The paradigm of birthrate policy must change. Excessive competition must be reduced," adding, "Effective and productivity-enhancing competition is important, but it should be avoided that excessive competition makes it difficult to have children."

He continued, "Reducing excessive competition and ensuring that families can live well, find jobs, and attend good schools even if they are not in Seoul is a very important task to solve the low birthrate issue." Additionally, he said, "Creating flexible work forms that allow both men and women to balance family life is another crucial link in addressing the low birthrate problem."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Regarding the expansion of medical personnel, considered an essential factor in preparing for a low birthrate and aging society, Seong clearly stated, "Expanding medical school quotas is absolutely necessary."

The Ministry of Health and Welfare recently officially requested the Korean Medical Association (KMA) to provide specific opinions on the scale of medical school admission quota increases to be applied from the 2025 academic year. The government views the 'increase of 350 students' proposed by the Korean Association of Medical Colleges (KAMC) on the 9th of this month as falling far short of public expectations.

Seong explained the rationale, saying, "This is a personnel issue to ensure that basic treatments, including emergency medical care, can be provided without difficulty in local areas. Demand is increasing amid social structural problems." He added, "Not only semiconductors but also medical and health sectors can become industrial elements of our country. To comprehensively accommodate personnel, expanding medical school quotas is absolutely necessary."

However, the government does not intend to specify a particular number. The plan is to make a decision considering consensus with related organizations and social perspectives. Seong mentioned, "It is necessary to have a process where each related organization or stakeholder submits how much personnel they need or expect, along with demand surveys and some form of personnel analysis." He added, "It would be ideal if a consensus number emerges, but if not, the decision should be made from the perspective of 'what is the most appropriate number for our society and the future of the Republic of Korea.'"

In response to a reporter's question about whether expanding medical school quotas would worsen the concentration of students in medical schools amid shortages of talent in scientific and technological fields such as semiconductors, he replied, "There must also be measures to ensure that other fields do not suffer difficulties. For reference, we are actively supporting universities to increase personnel in semiconductor departments and are also considering ways to reduce tuition burdens."