"Low Birthrate Measures Launched in Gyeongbuk Show Positive Signs On Site"... Sweeping President and Minister Awards

Gyeongbuk Province, which is tackling low birth rates, is sweeping various awards for its excellent response to overcoming low birth rates.

Gyeongbuk Province announced that it won four awards with outstanding results in the low birth rate countermeasure evaluation conducted by the government and the National Assembly. This marks the beginning of results from the province's focused efforts against low birth rates since early this year.

After Gyeongbuk Province received the Presidential Citation, (from left) Byeon Seong-wook, Head of Gyeongbuk Province Sejong Office, Park Si-yeon, Low Birthrate Officer of Gyeongbuk Province, Kim Min-jae, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Ahn Seong-ryeol, Head of the Low Birthrate Overcoming Headquarters of Gyeongbuk Province, and Lee Bit-na, Officer of the Low Birthrate Planning Team of Gyeongbuk Province, are taking a commemorative photo.

On the 10th, at the 2024 Population Decline Crisis Response Best Practices Competition held at the Government Sejong Complex and hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Gyeongbuk Province received the Presidential Institutional Award for its achievements in the war against low birth rates.

Additionally, among basic local governments, Sangju City received the Ministerial Institutional Award for actively promoting a region-specific visa program and excellent support for the settlement of foreigners in the area.

Gyeongbuk Province took the lead in improving social awareness to overcome low birth rates and was highly rated by the government for implementing 100 major action tasks responding to the entire low birth rate cycle.

In particular, as the first metropolitan local government to establish an official organization called the War Against Low Birth Rate Headquarters, it quickly executed a supplementary budget of 110 billion KRW despite difficult financial conditions, and was well evaluated for forming various public-private organizations and a collaborative network for low birth rate efforts.

On the 12th, Gyeongbuk Province was selected as the only metropolitan local government as an excellent institution for the 2024 Early Life Health Management Project hosted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, receiving the Ministerial Institutional Award.

Gyeongbuk Province received high evaluations for its tangible support projects for maternal and newborn health, including maternal and newborn health care support, establishment of public postpartum care centers, maternal and child health projects, support for infertile couples, and operation of infertility and depression counseling centers.

On October 10th, Gyeongbuk Province also received the Presidential Institutional Award for Population Policy Merit hosted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and on September 25th, it won the comprehensive grand prize, ranking first overall, at the ‘2024 Korea Local Guardians Contest Award Ceremony’ hosted by the National Assembly’s Administration and Security Committee and others.

Lee Cheol-woo, Governor of Gyeongbuk Province, emphasized, “The low birth rate countermeasures launched by Gyeongbuk are gradually showing positive signals in the field. The National Assembly and government have highly evaluated these efforts, and next year, we will focus on cooperating well with the central government to promote structural reform tasks for low birth rates and key projects for creating a child-friendly environment.”