Senior Deputy Vice Chairman Transitions to Full-Time Position... Legislation Office Chief Also Becomes Senior Committee Member

Partial Amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Basic Act on Low Fertility and Aging Society Approved at the Cabinet Meeting
Designation of Population Policy Evaluation Center for Low Fertility Policy Assessment

The Vice Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Low Fertility and Aging Society (Low Fertility and Aging Committee) will be converted from a part-time position to a full-time position. To accelerate the legalization of population policies, the head of the Legislation Office will be added as a government member of the Low Fertility and Aging Committee. The amount of the government-supported ‘First Meeting Voucher’ to reduce the economic burden on parents when a child is born will be increased from 2 million won to 3 million won starting from the second child.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Low Fertility and Aging Committee resolved a partial amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Framework Act on Low Fertility and Aging Society, including these details, at the Cabinet meeting on the 19th. The part-time vice chairman of the Low Fertility and Aging Committee will be converted to a full-time position to enable prompt review and evaluation of low fertility and aging society policies being promoted by each ministry. A Ministry of Health and Welfare official explained, “The purpose is to legally clarify that the appointed vice chairman works full-time, separate from the fact that they actually come to work every day, to strengthen the authority and responsibility for decision-making.”

Former Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Joo Hyung-hwan, appointed as Vice Chairman of the Low Birthrate and Aging Society Committee, is speaking about his thoughts on the 12th of last month at the Presidential Office building in Yongsan, Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

The amendment also includes adding the head of the Legislation Office to the seven ex officio members of the Low Fertility and Aging Committee. This is based on the judgment that close cooperation with the Legislation Office, the final review agency, is necessary to thoroughly review and legalize laws and regulations from the perspective of population policy during the preparation of low fertility countermeasures. Currently, the Low Fertility and Aging Committee includes ministers from seven ministries related to low fertility policies as ex officio government members: the Ministry of Economy and Finance, Ministry of Education, Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Ministry of Employment and Labor, Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, and Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. The Operations Committee, which assists the Low Fertility and Aging Committee by reviewing and coordinating agenda items in advance, will include the deputy head of the Legislation Office.

To objectively and systematically evaluate low fertility policies scattered across ministries, an external specialized institution will be designated as the ‘Population Policy Evaluation Center’ to conduct policy evaluations. National and public research institutes, government-funded research institutes, universities (including affiliated research institutes), and research institutes funded by local governments can be designated as Population Policy Evaluation Centers.

A Ministry of Health and Welfare official said, “We have established a clear legal basis for designating a center to evaluate population policies and conducting evaluations.” In addition, policy evaluations will be completed before the government budget formulation process next year to ensure that evaluation results are reflected as much as possible during budget allocation.

First Meeting Voucher for Second Child and Beyond: 2 Million Won → 3 Million Won

The Ministry of Health and Welfare will also increase the amount of the First Meeting Voucher, a voucher program introduced in 2020 as part of the infant-focused investment project. Previously, a 2 million won voucher was provided regardless of birth order, but from now on, 3 million won will be provided for the second and subsequent children. The usage period of the First Meeting Voucher has also been extended from one year to two years to enhance convenience.

The amended Enforcement Decree of the Framework Act on Low Fertility and Aging Society will take effect immediately upon promulgation. Kim Hyun-jun, Director of the Population Policy Office at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, stated, “With this amendment, we expect the functions of the Low Fertility and Aging Committee to be strengthened, including enhanced evaluation and feedback authority.” Lim Ho-geun, Secretary-General of the Low Fertility and Aging Committee, also said, “Based on the amended enforcement decree, we will strengthen the control tower function through cooperation among related agencies.”