Gyeongbuk Faces Regional Extinction With 10,000 Births and 25,000 Deaths Annually... Provincial Council Holds Policy Forum

Lim Jongsik, Yang Geumhee, and Jeong Heeyong Attend
"Policies Beyond Cash Support Needed"

The "Gyeongsangbuk-do Low Birthrate Overcoming Policy Forum," organized by Park Soonbeom, Chairperson of the Gyeongbuk Provincial Council Construction and Firefighting Committee, was successfully held on July 25 at the Small Performance Hall of the Chilgok County Education and Culture Center.

This forum was held for the second time, following the first in June 2024. It was planned to seek effective policy alternatives in response to the population cliff and risk of regional extinction caused by the low birthrate, and to establish directions for institutional improvements that reflect the voices of local residents.

Participants of the 'Low Birthrate Overcoming Policy Forum' organized by the Gyeongbuk Provincial Council are gathered together for a commemorative photo.

The forum was attended by key figures such as Jeong Heeyong, a member of the People Power Party (Goryeong County, Seongju County, Chilgok County), Yang Geumhee, Gyeongbuk Vice Governor for Economic Affairs, Lim Jongshik, Gyeongbuk Superintendent of Education, and Kim Jaewook, Chilgok County Governor. In addition, around 300 participants?including parent organizations, education officials, youth, experts, and local residents?showed great interest in overcoming the low birthrate crisis.

In his opening remarks, Park Soonbeom, Gyeongbuk Provincial Council member, stated, "In the case of Gyeongbuk Province, the annual number of births is only about 10,000, while the number of deaths is about 25,000. As a result, the population decreases by more than 15,000 people each year due to natural causes alone, making the risk of regional extinction a reality." He added, "Through this forum, we will lay the foundation for effective policies, enact ordinances related to low birthrate, and connect these efforts to proposals to the central government."

In his congratulatory speech, Jeong Heeyong emphasized, "To overcome the low birthrate, it is essential to create jobs tailored to the characteristics of the region and to reduce the childcare burden on parents while establishing an environment conducive to raising children." He further stressed, "Above all, we must create a society where our children can be confident that they will live better than their parents' generation."

During the subsequent policy presentation, Choi Soonkyu, Director of the Gyeongbuk Low Birthrate Response Division, explained, "The low birthrate stems from structural issues such as excessive competition and concentration in the capital region." He continued, "Gyeongbuk Province has declared a 'war on low birthrate' and is pursuing cultural and institutional changes through 150 practical tasks covering the entire life cycle and the 'Four Major Cultural Movements' to alleviate the burdens of marriage and childbirth."

Jeong Jeonghee, a professor at Kyungpook National University and the first presenter, stated, "Low birthrate is not simply an economic issue but a structural problem involving social outflow, cross-cultural comparisons, and declining quality of life." She proposed the need for policy shifts such as mandatory paternity leave and region-led development strategies.

Lee Soyoung, a professor at Daegu University and the second presenter, noted, "Japan is a successful case of population rebound based on clear division of roles between central and local governments and an integrated support system covering the entire life cycle." She suggested that Gyeongbuk Province should also respond to the low birthrate through systematic policy linkages that go beyond cash support.

The comprehensive discussion featured Lee Jeongmin, Associate Research Fellow at the Gyeongbuk Research Institute, Son Seonghye, Seokjeok Elementary School Operations Committee member, Kim Hojung, Chairperson of the Myeongin Middle School Operations Committee, and Lee Gwanghee, member of the Gyeongbuk Gender Equality Committee, who engaged in in-depth discussions.

The discussants emphasized the need for universal support expansion from the early stages of childbirth to school-age and adolescence, resolving imbalances in childcare time through shared parenting by both men and women, improving the reliability and accessibility of care services, expanding state scholarships for multi-child families regardless of income, and providing substantial support and fostering a culture of social respect for multi-child families.

Additionally, specific suggestions were made, such as closing regional education gaps by benchmarking the Gangnam-gu Ingang program.

Concluding the discussion, Jeong Heeyong stated, "I feel a heavy sense of responsibility for the reality that, despite investing hundreds of trillions of won over decades, we have not achieved change." He pledged, "I will do my utmost to continuously communicate with residents and ensure that the measures proposed at today's forum are reflected in legislation and institutional improvements."

Park Soonbeom, Gyeongbuk Provincial Council member, said, "Each policy proposal presented today can become the starting point for changing the future of Gyeongbuk. The provincial council will actively reflect these suggestions, and we will focus all our capabilities to make Gyeongsangbuk-do a leading model region in overcoming the low birthrate."