Gov't to establish low birthrate response and planning ministry

President Yoon Suk Yeol declared on Thursday that the low birthrate constitutes a national emergency. He announced the elevation of the Presidential Committee on Aging Society and Population Policy to the status of a ministry, establishing the Ministry of Low Birthrate Response and Planning. "I will entrust it with the role of a powerful control tower," he stated, referring to the Economic Planning Board, which oversaw the five-year economic development plans in the past. The Minister of Low Birthrate Response and Planning will concurrently serve as the Deputy Prime Minister of Social Affairs, overseeing education, labor, and welfare policies.

While the government has invested 380 trillion won in measures to boost fertility over the past 18 years, it has been pointed out that the effects are difficult to perceive due to policies being scattered across ministries. However, there are doubts regarding whether the new ministry, following the model of the high-growth era of the 1960s, will be able to address the challenge of low birthrates effectively.

The only change made is that the Minister of Low Birthrate Response and Planning will now also serve as the Deputy Prime Minister of Social Affairs, replacing the Education Minister who already oversees education, labor, and welfare ministries. Additionally, the Prime Minister's Office and the President's Office have coordinated policies across ministries. The president has expressed a desire to “make birthrate-boosting policies a national agenda, not just a welfare policy,” but the initial question arises: why haven't the control towers of the Prime Minister's and President's Offices been functioning? It seems unlikely that the problem will be solved simply by shaking up the institutions without a thorough review.

Moreover, since the work of the Ministry of Low Birthrate Response and Planning spans multiple ministries, significant difficulties are expected in coordinating ministry functions and budgets. If the ruling and opposition parties disagree on specific operational plans and ministries compete for control, devising legislation quickly will be challenging. The government has yet to announce a comprehensive birthrate-boosting plan, which was scheduled for March of this year. There is concern that only time will be wasted debating whether to reorganize or not.