Population Strategy Committee Launched After 21 Years as Successor to Presidential Committee on Low Fertility and Aging Society

Inauguration Ceremony Held on the 8th Floor of the Government Seoul Office
Attended by Vice Chairman, Minister of Health and Welfare, and Others

The Presidential Committee on Low Fertility and Aging Society has brought down its signboard after 21 years and transformed into the newly established “Population Strategy Committee.” This marks the official launch of the government’s comprehensive control tower, which will address not only low fertility and aging but also sweeping changes in demographic structures, such as regional imbalances, diversifying household types, and cross-border population movement.

On the 10th, the Low Birthrate and Aging Society Committee was newly launched as the Population Strategy Committee, and a plaque ceremony for the inauguration of the Population Strategy Committee was held at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul. From the left in the photo: Se-moon Choi, member; Kyung-jong Mo, member of the Democratic Party; Eunkyung Jung, Minister of Health and Welfare; Jino Kim, Vice Chair of the Population Strategy Committee; Jinkyeong Park, standing committee member; Hohun Lim, Secretary for Population Policy. September 10, 2026. Photo by Yongjun Cho.

On the morning of September 10, the Population Strategy Committee held an inauguration plaque ceremony in front of its office on the 8th floor of the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul, formally announcing the committee’s launch. The ceremony was attended by Vice Chairman Kim Jin-o, Standing Committee Member Park Jinkyeong, youth staff representatives Kang Myeongkyu and Wi Yunhwa, Minister of Health and Welfare Jung Eunkyung, civilian member Choi Saemun, Democratic Party of Korea Member of Parliament Mo Kyungjong (National Youth Committee Chair), and Presidential Secretary for Population Policy Im Hogeun to celebrate this new beginning. This follows the full-scale revision of the Framework Act on Population Strategy in June this year and the related enforcement decree, which was passed by the Cabinet and has taken effect as of September 10.

The newly launched Population Strategy Committee is undertaking a complete overhaul of the conventional framework, which, over the past 21 years since its establishment in 2005, was mainly focused on increasing the total fertility rate and improving the welfare of the elderly. With four guiding principles—future hope for younger generations, coexistence between all generations, regional growth through collaboration, and an inclusive, open society—the committee plans to finalize and announce the “1st National Population Strategy Master Plan” within this year. The key tasks will include solutions to youth employment, housing, asset-building, and structural challenges for marriage and childbirth, the establishment of sustainable care systems, and social integration in an age where the resident foreign population in Korea surpasses 3 million.

The committee’s policy influence and expertise have been significantly strengthened. The number of committee members has increased to 40, and the number of government ministries and agencies participating as ex officio members has expanded to 15. Four new expert subcommittees—on social strategy, economic strategy, coordination and evaluation, and migrant affairs—have been established to support the main committee’s deliberation and coordination functions. At both central government agencies and regional/provincial governments, director-level population policy officers will be designated to build a continuous cooperation network, with the first meeting of these officers scheduled for October to begin tailoring region-specific responses. In addition, a Citizens’ Participation Group, spanning all generations, has been formed to institutionalize public input in the policy-making process.

Previously fragmented across ministries, relevant policies will now be unified and coordinated within the national strategy framework through a “pre-budget consultation authority.” This system, designed to prune overlapping projects and prioritize resources where most needed, will be fully operational from January 2027. Each ministry must submit its investment direction by the end of January, undergo consultations with the committee, and then file its budget request with the Ministry of Economy and Finance by the end of May; following a final review, the committee will deliver a consolidated opinion to the ministry by the end of June as part of a meticulous pre-review process.

Vice Chairman Kim Jin-o stated, “With the launch of the Population Strategy Committee, we will serve as a strong control tower that transcends ministries and regions and becomes a central point connecting the public and on-the-ground realities. We will harness collective wisdom to respond fundamentally and proactively so that demographic shifts become new opportunities for Korea’s continuous development, rather than a burden.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.