"National Emergency, 'Establishment of Population Department' Should Transcend Party Lines"

Hanmiyeon at 'Future Research Forum'
Calls for Dedicated Roles for Elderly, Youth, and Immigrants
Need to Establish Special Accounts for Low Birthrate Response
First Population Minister Should Be a Weighty Figure

There have been calls for bipartisan cooperation between the ruling and opposition parties to establish the Population Strategy Planning Department (Population Department). Experts suggested that for the Population Department to serve as a practical control tower, it should have elderly, youth, and immigration as its core tasks, establish a special account for responding to low birth rates, and have budget authority so that ministries can carry out projects.

On the 24th, Lee In-sil, director of the Korea Future Population Institute, at a future research forum co-hosted by the National Future Strategy Institute of Seoul National University, said, "South Korea is in a national emergency due to a 'population sinkhole,' so where is the distinction between ruling and opposition parties?" and emphasized, "The ruling and opposition parties must cooperate in a bipartisan manner to promptly pass legislation related to the establishment of the Population Department." Lee added, "Germany guarantees parental leave (Elternzeit) as an employee right and has introduced mandatory paternity leave and quotas to increase birth rates," and said, "The Basic Act on Population Crisis Response should include content that can change the paradigm of population policy."

Earlier, President Yoon Suk-yeol announced on the 29th of last month that he would promote the establishment of the Population Department by launching an intergovernmental joint task force for the Population Strategy Planning Department. The ruling party submitted a bill to amend the Government Organization Act and the Basic Act on Low Birthrate and Aging Society to establish the Population Department as a party resolution on July 11. It is likely to pass the plenary session of the National Assembly on the 26th.

At this forum, concerns were raised about the lack of specific guidelines for establishing the Population Department. Professor Ko Young-jun of the Graduate School of Public Policy at Chungnam National University, who gave the keynote presentation, pointed out, "While there is agreement on improving the role of the current population policy control tower, there is insufficient convincing explanation as to why the government reorganization plan is moving in that direction." Professor Ko said, "There needs to be discussion on whether the newly established organization will only have policy formulation, overall management, and coordination functions, or whether it will also have execution functions for individual policies," adding, "Effective promotion and execution of population policies centered on a dedicated population ministry require legal and institutional support." He continued, "Since the current 'Basic Act on Low Birthrate and Aging Society' lacks provisions to ensure accountability in collaboration, the status change of the policy deliberation body and the approximate scope of projects according to the granting of prior budget review rights must be determined."

Experts argued that to operate the ministry effectively, budget allocation authority held by the Ministry of Economy and Finance should be transferred to the Population Department. Professor Hong Seok-cheol of Seoul National University said at the forum, "Even if trillions of won are needed immediately to strengthen work-family balance, the Ministry of Economy and Finance will not easily approve it," adding, "Ultimately, even if the Population Department is newly established, a special account or fund for responding to low birth rates is necessary to promote core projects, and related provisions should be added to the amendment of the Basic Act on Population Crisis Response." Choi Jong-chan, co-chair of the Sound Fiscal Forum, argued that the first minister of the Population Department should be a person of significant stature. Choi said, "The Population Policy Deliberation Council chaired by the president and the annual population policy evaluation meetings should encourage each ministry."