Financial, Economic, and Religious Sectors Join Hands... Launch of Private-led 'Low Birthrate Overcoming Promotion Headquarters'

Financial, economic, academic, broadcasting, and religious sectors have established a joint organization to address the low birthrate issue.

The Low Birthrate Overcoming Promotion Headquarters announced on the 23rd that it held its launching ceremony at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, with about 100 figures from various fields in attendance. The Promotion Headquarters encompasses key private sectors including finance, economy, academia, broadcasting, and religion.

In the economic sector, Sohn Kyung-shik, Chairman of the Korea Employers Federation, serves as a co-representative; in finance, Cho Yong-byeong, Chairman of the Korea Federation of Banks; in academia, Lee Kwang-hyung, President of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST); in broadcasting, Park Min, President of the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS); and in religion, Jinwoo Sunim, Co-Chairman of the Korea Religious Leaders Council, also serves as a co-representative.

On this day, the joint representatives unveiled major project plans to overcome the low birthrate under the slogan "Our Children, Our Future." Chairman Sohn proposed key projects such as creating a work environment that reduces childcare burdens and continuously discovering exemplary companies that promote a family-friendly corporate culture to support work-family balance.

Chairman Cho emphasized the development of financial products tailored to the characteristics of each financial sector to overcome the low birthrate, expansion of family-friendly systems, conducting substantial social contribution projects to address the low birthrate, and active promotion. President Lee presented plans including a future society conference on low birthrate, Korea-China-Japan population forum, joint research with major European countries, and contributions using science and technology.

Sunim Jinwoo introduced low birthrate overcoming programs from seven major religious groups centered on family values and stressed leading efforts to foster a culture where the preciousness of human life, childbirth, and childcare are socially respected.

Attending on behalf of the government, Joo Hyung-hwan, Vice Chairman of the Low Fertility and Aging Society Committee, said, "Government policy responses alone are not sufficient to overcome the low birthrate crisis, so I am very pleased that a Promotion Headquarters involving various sectors of society has been formed. I ask the Promotion Headquarters to serve as a focal point to improve social awareness with one heart and one mind and to encourage all citizens to practice this personally."

Meanwhile, at the launching ceremony, broadcaster Hong Hyun-hee and the couple Jayseon were appointed as promotional ambassadors. The couple married in 2018 and had their first child, a son named Junbeom, in 2022, after about four years. The Promotion Headquarters plans to concretize the organization for implementing major projects and finalize the official name through public opinion surveys in the future.