Kim Yuncheol, Hapcheon County Governor, Joins Population Awareness Relay Campaign

"Let's Overcome the Population Crisis Together!"

Hapcheon County, Gyeongnam Province, announced on the 17th that County Governor Kim Yooncheol participated in the 'Relay Campaign to Raise Awareness of Population Issues,' which is organized by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Health and Welfare Human Resources Institute.

This campaign, which began in October 2023, aims to raise public awareness about population decline and aging issues, and has seen participation from local governments and various organizations nationwide.

Kim Yunchul, Hapcheon County Governor, Participates in Relay Campaign to Raise Awareness of Population Issues Photo by Kim Yoonchul

Governor Kim Yooncheol joined the campaign after being nominated by Governor Jin Byeongyeong of Hamyang County, and in turn nominated the governors of Changnyeong County and Sancheong County to participate next.

Hapcheon County is working to prevent the outflow of young people and support residential stability by promoting the construction of a total of 60 units of Happy Housing for Young People and Newlyweds, as well as public rental housing for youth. The Happy Housing project will provide 20 units (38㎡ each) for young people and 10 units (70㎡ each) for newlyweds, while the public rental housing for youth will offer 30 units (38㎡ each). The groundbreaking ceremony for the Happy Housing project was held on the 17th, with completion targeted for June 2026.

In addition, the county is implementing comprehensive support policies for childbirth and child-rearing, such as childbirth incentives, support funds for families with multiple children, 90% coverage of out-of-pocket expenses for maternal and newborn health management, postpartum care support, housing loan interest support for newlyweds, infant and toddler care services, and after-school youth care support, all aimed at reducing the real burden of child-rearing and increasing the birth rate.

As a result, Hapcheon County's total fertility rate in 2024 reached 0.88, surpassing the national average (0.75) and the Gyeongnam average (0.82). This marks a 37.5% increase from 0.64 in 2023 and is being recognized as a successful example of a rebound in the total fertility rate.

Governor Kim Yooncheol stated, "The issue of population decline is a challenge that our entire society must address together. I hope this campaign will further raise awareness among our residents. We will continue to implement effective policies to make Hapcheon a place where children are happy, young people can nurture hope, and the elderly can find fulfillment."