[Reporter’s Notebook] Once Again, the Government Says "Let's Consider It" on Low Birthrate Measures

The Ministry of Economy and Finance's Mid- to Long-term Strategy Committee held a 'Future Strategy Forum' on the 29th to create mid- to long-term policy tasks to overcome the population crisis. However, there were no new measures or bold decisions at the forum. It merely pointed out the limitations of existing policies and voiced that "an approach on a different level is needed." It suggested well-known paths such as enhancing the effectiveness of fiscal and tax support for low birthrates and creating conditions for work-family balance. Even this ended with vague statements like "let's consider it" without revealing concrete solutions.

The way our government responds to the population crisis has always been like this. It only criticized the problems of previous low birthrate measures and called for "a new approach and restructuring." Former President Moon Jae-in, citing limitations in the previous government's low birthrate policies before 2017, pushed for a complete restructuring of the Basic Plan for a Low Birthrate and Aging Society. The Ministry of Economy and Finance announced last year that the 4th plan was restructured without any concrete measures. In February, President Yoon Suk-yeol also repeated, "Thoroughly analyze the root causes of low birthrates," and "Low birthrate policies must be restructured."

Citizens struggling to raise children can only grow weary of the repeated talk of "restructuring." Given this atmosphere, it is doubtful whether bold low birthrate measures will emerge, even if they require significant funding and have some side effects. Fifteen years ago, former President Lee Myung-bak urged the public service, which was hesitant to prepare low birthrate measures during his tenure, saying, "It is not a matter that can be solved by working on it for 10 years," and "Bold measures are necessary." Then and now, concerns about "whether it will be effective" and worries about "high costs" prevail.

Everyone knows the solutions to low birthrates, but no measures have been presented. Work-family balance is a representative example. Former President Moon said in 2017 that the fundamental measure was to enable women to maintain their lives while marrying, giving birth, and raising children. Since then, opinions have emerged to provide dramatic tax incentives to companies supporting work-family balance. Each time, the government has scrapped these measures citing budget, tax revenue, and effectiveness concerns. Only now, seven years later, is there talk of reviewing tax benefits, emphasizing that work-family balance is most important.

Park Jae-wan, chairman of the Mid- to Long-term Strategy Committee, pointed out in his opening remarks that "the foresight to distinguish between strikes and balls in policy is important." This is a call to select effective low birthrate policies. However, Korea is an unprecedented ultra-low birthrate country with a fertility rate below 1. In baseball terms, it is just before a cold game. Even pitches outside the strike zone must be somehow swung at to get on base. The complacent attitude of merely pondering what good low birthrate policies might be must be abandoned. It is time to create measures, not just review them.