"Give Us Marriage Vouchers"... Young People's Solution to Low Birth Rates?

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A recent survey found that young people prefer easing the financial burden of early marriage through local currency (vouchers) as a solution to overcoming low birth rates. For addressing the challenges of an aging society, they selected senior career matching, which enables continued employment for older adults through customized career matching and flexible work arrangements.

On December 13, the Presidential Committee on Low Fertility and Aging Society held a performance report session for the 2025 Future Generation National Committee (WE) at Conference House Dalgaebi, unveiling nine outstanding proposals from the National Committee.

The Presidential Committee on Low Fertility and Aging Society has been operating the National Committee since last year to reflect public opinion in the policy-making process. This year, the committee was reorganized as the 'Future Generation National Committee,' consisting of 250 teenagers and people in their twenties-groups often marginalized in policy discussions-and launched its second term.

This year, the National Committee ranked the provision of marriage preparation vouchers in the form of local currency to reduce the initial financial burden of marriage as the top proposal in the marriage category. In the childcare, caregiving, and education sector, the proposal to introduce a mandatory university course titled 'Low Birth Rate and Future Society' to foster empathy and understanding of demographic issues was selected as an outstanding idea.

In the housing sector, notable proposals included granting housing supply priority to families with children to encourage childless households to have children, and supporting transportation costs for newlyweds living in provincial areas who commute to the Seoul metropolitan area-a policy aimed at promoting residential dispersion between provincial and metropolitan regions.

Young people also suggested customized career matching and flexible work arrangements for skilled senior workers as a way to ensure continued employment in an aging society. The proposals included establishing a senior professional workforce database to connect with small and medium-sized enterprises, gradually introducing mandatory employment quotas for older adults (1-3%) based on company size, and providing incentives to companies that continue to employ seniors.

Joo Hyunhwan, Vice Chairperson of the Presidential Committee on Low Fertility and Aging Society, stated, "We will review the proposed tasks with relevant ministries and faithfully reflect them in future population policies."

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