Yoon Declares "National Population Emergency"... Male Parental Leave Rate to Reach 50% Within Term (Comprehensive)

Second Direct Chairing of Low Birthrate and Aging Society Committee Meeting
New Department Named 'Population Strategy Planning Division'
Pre-Review Authority Granted for Low Birthrate Budget
"Nationwide All-Out Effort Needed to Change Grim Future"

President Yoon Suk-yeol declared on the 19th, "As of today, we officially declare a 'national population emergency' and will activate a nationwide all-out response system until the low birthrate issue is overcome." He added, "We will significantly increase the male parental leave usage rate, which is currently only 6.8%, to around 50% during my term, and introduce a new parental leave system that can be used in short periods of two weeks."

President Yoon also stated, "The name of the Low Birthrate Response Planning Department will be changed to the ‘Population Strategy Planning Department,’ and the minister will serve as the Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs to establish a mid- to long-term national development strategy concerning population, including low birthrate, aging society, and immigration policies."

On the same day, President Yoon presided over the '2024 Low Birthrate and Aging Society Committee Meeting' held at the HD Hyundai Global R&D Center Asan Hall in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, under the theme of 'Measures to Reverse the Low Birthrate Trend.' This was the second time President Yoon, who is the chairman of the Low Birthrate and Aging Society Committee, directly chaired the meeting since March last year. The meeting was convened to discuss extraordinary measures to reverse the low birthrate trend.

In his opening remarks, President Yoon expressed concern, saying, "Our society is facing various challenges, but the most fundamental and critical problem is the population crisis caused by ultra-low birthrates." He added, "Rapid population decline is having a very negative impact on our society as a whole, including the economy and security, to the extent that we must even worry about the survival of the Republic of Korea." He also referenced the history of ancient Sparta, which is said to have perished due to population decline caused by a great earthquake and extreme competitive systems."

President Yoon Suk-yeol is speaking at the 2024 Low Birthrate and Aging Society Committee meeting held on the 19th at the HD Hyundai Global R&D Center Asan Hall in Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, under the theme of "Measures to Reverse the Low Birthrate Trend." [Image source=Yonhap News]

He continued, "Despite investing a budget of 280 trillion won over the past 16 years, the birthrate has set new record lows every year, and the total fertility rate in the first quarter of this year was 0.76, the lowest ever recorded for the same period," emphasizing, "Now, the nation must wage an all-out war to turn this bleak future into a hopeful one."

Establishment of the 'Population Strategy Planning Department'... Playing a Strong Control Tower Role

First, President Yoon confirmed the name of the newly established Low Birthrate Response Planning Department, which was announced at the May 2nd anniversary press conference, as the Population Strategy Planning Department. He stated, "Like the former Economic Planning Board, the Population Strategy Planning Department will be granted prior review authority over the low birthrate budget and will perform a strong control tower role by having functions for planning, evaluating, and coordinating population policies, as well as prior consultation rights on local government projects."

He also said, "A senior office for low birthrate response will be established within the Presidential Office to directly oversee policies," emphasizing, "Along with the all-out response system, it is most important to present policies that the public can actually feel and be satisfied with."

President Yoon explained, "After coldly reevaluating past low birthrate policies and thoroughly investigating both successful and failed cases abroad, we concluded that policy efforts must focus on three core areas: work-family balance, child-rearing, and housing." He stressed, "Regardless of company size or employment type, everyone should be able to work while simultaneously managing childbirth and childcare when needed."

As a drastic measure, the plan is to dramatically raise the male parental leave usage rate from the current 6.8% to about 50% during his term. Parental leave pay will also be significantly increased to 2.5 million won per month for the first three months.

President Yoon Suk-yeol is speaking at the 2024 Low Birthrate and Aging Society Committee meeting held on the 19th at the HD Hyundai Global R&D Center Asan Hall in Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, under the theme of "Measures to Reverse the Low Birthrate Trend." [Image source=Yonhap News]

President Yoon said, "We will allow employees to apply for maternity leave and parental leave together without worrying about workplace pressure, and extend paternity leave from 10 days to 20 days to establish a social atmosphere where both mothers and fathers can balance work and childcare."

He also mentioned the importance of ensuring parents have enough time to care for their children. President Yoon stated, "Parents must be able to fully care for their children during essential times, such as when the child is sick," and announced, "We will expand the age range for reduced working hours during childcare from 8 to 12 years old and introduce a new parental leave system that can be used in short periods of two weeks."

Flexible work arrangements, including staggered commuting hours and telecommuting, will also be widely implemented. President Yoon added, "The government will share the burden of colleagues and companies by providing employers with a monthly 1.2 million won subsidy for replacement workers during parental leave," and "We will establish work-childcare coordinators at 13 employment centers nationwide to provide customized guidance on childbirth, childcare, and leave support systems."

President Yoon stated that the country will shift to public care, taking responsibility for child-rearing, and complete state responsibility for children aged 0 to 11 during his term. To this end, he promised to realize free education and care for children aged 3 to 5 and ensure that children of all grades in all elementary schools nationwide can use the Neulbom Program.

Complete Overhaul of Adoption System... Adoption Process to be Directly Managed by the State and Local Governments

President Yoon said, "The Neulbom School, which I am very interested in, will be expanded to all elementary schools nationwide in the second semester of this year," adding, "We will gradually expand free operation and strengthen cooperation with local governments for care."

He continued, "We must also strengthen the state's care for children who have no parents or family to look after them," emphasizing, "We will completely overhaul the adoption system to support children settling more safely and quickly into new families, and the adoption process, which has been mainly operated by the private sector, will be directly managed by the state and local governments."

For households with newborns, priority will be given to housing allocation, and additional subscription opportunities and special supply ratios for newborns will be increased. President Yoon said, "We will also ease housing cost concerns," stating, "We will provide low-interest loans for home purchase and jeonse deposits to newlyweds and expand additional preferential interest rates for each childbirth." He also plans to introduce additional tax deductions for various wedding expenses such as ceremonies and wedding attire to reduce the financial burden on young people.

President Yoon noted, "Low birthrate is a complex issue intertwined with social structural factors such as concentration in the metropolitan area, competitive pressure, and social-cultural factors like high anxiety, beyond the three core areas of work-family balance, child-rearing, and housing." He emphasized, "The government will do its best to open an era where living anywhere is good and will steadfastly pursue structural reforms including employment, pensions, education, and healthcare."

Monthly 'Population Emergency Measures Meetings'... "Thorough Policy Review"

President Yoon Suk-yeol is speaking at the 2024 Low Birthrate and Aging Society Committee meeting held on the 19th at the HD Hyundai Global R&D Center Asan Hall in Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, under the theme of 'Measures to Reverse the Low Birthrate Trend.' [Image source=Yonhap News]

President Yoon said, "To fundamentally solve the low birthrate problem with a long-term perspective, it is essential to work together with the people. Until the Population Strategy Planning Department is launched, we will hold monthly population emergency measures meetings centered on the Low Birthrate and Aging Society Committee to thoroughly review and supplement announced policies, and continuously create systems and policies that the public can feel through close cooperation among the public, private sectors, and political parties." He requested cooperation from the National Assembly to promptly launch the Population Strategy Planning Department to establish a nationwide all-out response system.

During the subsequent discussion, a working mother in her 30s raising a 4-year-old daughter said, "I took one year of parental leave at my previous company, but after returning to work, I felt disadvantages and eventually decided to change jobs. It will be very helpful to be able to take parental leave without worrying about the employer's attitude and to have a work-sharing support fund so that colleagues do not feel sorry."

A mother working as a freelance writer raising 3- and 5-year-old siblings said, "Due to the nature of my job, my working hours are irregular, and raising two children alone makes childcare services essential. I am glad to hear that childcare services will be expanded," and suggested, "It would be good if foreign care workers could be utilized at a low cost."

Choi Sang-mok, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, said, "I consider the population crisis as an economic and security crisis," and stated, "We will prioritize the budget secured through fiscal expenditure restructuring for responding to the low birthrate."

Jung Jeom-sik, Policy Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, said, "The party's top priority is the low birthrate, and the first bill of the 22nd National Assembly was also for low birthrate response," promising, "The party will actively engage in legislative policies such as establishing the Population Strategy Planning Department."

"We Must Thoroughly Do Everything Necessary to Raise the Birthrate"

In his closing remarks, President Yoon said, "Our society has developed in terms of welfare and living conditions, but the birthrate is not rising," emphasizing again, "Ultimately, economic burdens in work-family balance, child-rearing, and housing must be eliminated." He also noted, "Some perceive children negatively as debts," and urged, "Along with work-family balance, child-rearing, and housing, a shift in life values and perceptions must also occur." Furthermore, President Yoon urged attendees, "In this national crisis, let us thoroughly do everything necessary to raise the birthrate."

The meeting was attended by various policy stakeholders, including working mothers, fathers with multiple children, youth, parents, business representatives, and appointed private members of the Low Birthrate and Aging Society Committee. Government officials such as Vice Chairman Joo Hyung-hwan of the Low Birthrate and Aging Society Committee and Deputy Prime Minister Choi attended, along with local government officials including Governor Lee Cheol-woo of Gyeongbuk Province and Daegu Superintendent of Education Kang Eun-hee. From the National Assembly, Policy Committee Chairman Jung Jeom-sik and Low Birthrate Response Special Committee Chairman Kim Jeong-jae of the People Power Party participated, as well as Social Affairs Secretary Jang Sang-yoon from the Presidential Office.

President Yoon Suk-yeol visited the workplace daycare center within the HD Hyundai Global R&D Center in Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, on the 19th, ahead of the 2024 Low Birthrate and Aging Society Committee meeting. He observed a paper doll-making program for the children. Vice Chairman Jeong Gi-seon of HD Hyundai was present during the daycare visit.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Before the main meeting, President Yoon visited the HD Hyundai workplace daycare center, guided by Chairman Kwon Oh-gap of HD Hyundai, where he participated in physical activities and paper doll-making programs with the children and encouraged the daycare center’s students, director, and teachers. During the physical activity session, President Yoon personally acted as the referee for the children’s tug-of-war game.

Afterward, President Yoon visited the daycare center’s cafeteria and cheered the cooks by saying, "Thank you for your hard work." When a couple requested a selfie with their child as President Yoon was leaving the daycare center, he took a commemorative photo with the family, according to a written briefing by Presidential Spokesperson Kim Soo-kyung.