Gyeongbuk Governor Lee Cheolwoo: "To Overcome Low Birthrate, All Powers Except Diplomacy and Defense Should Be Delegated to Local Governments"

Speech at National Assembly Population Forum Event
"Administrative Integration Is an Alternative for Balanced Development"

Gyeongbuk Governor Lee Cheolwoo attended the "2024 Korea Population Forum in the National Assembly" held at the National Assembly Members' Office Building in Seoul on the 26th, where he emphasized the need to transfer the initiative and authority for low birthrate policies to local governments and to swiftly promote administrative integration, a major national restructuring project for Korea's future.

The forum was attended by Gyeongbuk Governor Lee Cheolwoo, members of the National Assembly, local government officials, and private sector experts. The event proceeded with a keynote presentation, policy announcements to overcome the low birthrate and population crisis, and a discussion on the legislative responsibilities for a new future.

Lee Cheolwoo, Governor of Gyeongbuk Province, delivering a speech at the Population Forum event at the National Assembly.

Governor Lee Cheolwoo participated as the representative of local government heads, having been recognized as a model case for overcoming low birthrate through initiatives such as declaring a "war on low birthrate" and implementing a full-cycle strategy.

As the keynote speaker, Governor Lee Cheolwoo stated, "Korea is becoming a nation dying due to low birthrate," and added, "Just as Gyeongbuk has historically stepped up to resolve national crises, we will lead the fight against low birthrate and ensure victory."

On this day, Governor Lee presented locally-led low birthrate solutions and administrative integration as answers to overcoming the crisis.

First, Governor Lee introduced Gyeongbuk's "war fund" of 110 billion KRW, created through structural adjustment, and stressed that the central government must also rigorously assess existing budgets and focus resources on key areas related to low birthrate by redistributing funds.

He also stated that the initiative and authority for low birthrate policies should be largely devolved to local governments, allowing them to design policies tailored to actual conditions on the ground, while the central government should establish systems and provide funding to ensure that necessary policies are implemented in each region.

In particular, since the concentration in the Seoul metropolitan area is the main cause of the low birthrate issue, he argued that administrative integration on a scale of 5 million people is needed to overcome the unipolar system. He called for the transfer of all powers except for national defense, diplomacy, and unification to local governments, achieving complete autonomy at a federal level. He emphasized that administrative integration is the only alternative for balanced development and a major national restructuring project for Korea's future.

Governor Lee also called on the National Assembly, stating that overcoming the low birthrate is a legislative responsibility and requested the prompt enactment of a special law encompassing all aspects of low birthrate response to provide strong legal support.

In this regard, Governor Lee Cheolwoo emphasized, "We must create a proud history for humanity and save a dying nation by winning the war against low birthrate and advancing toward becoming a top-tier country. The National Assembly must play an active role."

At the beginning of this year, Gyeongbuk Province declared a war on low birthrate and established 100 key tasks for victory, mobilizing all policy capabilities to swiftly implement projects aimed at overcoming this national challenge.