Rival parties draw up measures to tackle country’s low birthrate

Jan 19, 2024, 09:08 am

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Chairman Han Dong-hoon of the ruling People Power Party’s (PPP) emergency leadership committee delivers the party’s first campaign promise involving the country’s low birthrate for April’s general elections during a visit to a small company in Seoul on Jan. 18, 2024./ Source: Joint Press Corps

By AsiaToday reporter Park Ji-eun

Rival parties on Thursday announced their plans to tackle the country’s low birthrate ahead of April’s general elections. The ruling People Power Party (PPP) announced it will first mandate providing paid parental leave of three months for mothers and one month for fathers. The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) focused on providing affordable homes and financial assistance.

The ruling party rolled out its policy promises as part of their campaigns for the upcoming general elections, at a small company in Seoul with its interim leader Han Dong-hoon in attendance.

The PPP will also push for the establishment of a new ministry for demography, to be led by a deputy prime minister. Also, the monthly salary for parental leave will be expanded to 2.1 million won from the current maximum of 1.5 million won, or around 1,100 U.S. dollars. Childcare leave will be newly implemented, allowing parents to take paid leave for up to five days every year until their children are 3rd grade of elementary school. “The low birthrate issue is also related to the gap in childcare burden among couples and between small companies and conglomerates,” Han said. “The first step in realizing the co-living society is to narrow the gap concerning the low birthrate.”

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Lee Jae-myung, chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party, announces a set of measures aimed at resolving the country’s low birthrate at the National Assembly on Jan. 18, 2024./ Photographed by Lee Byung-hwa

The DP also announced a set of measures at the National Assembly aimed at resolving the country’s low birthrate, including a pledge to provide houses in the public rental system for couples when they have two or more babies. The public houses can be available for allotment sale at a relatively lower price after a period of time.

It also proposed expanding state support eligibility for newlyweds to ten years from the current seven years. “The fertility rate is said to drop to 0.5 in two years. This is an unimaginable figure,” Lee Jae-myung said. “It is a task that is on our hands right now, not in the future.”

Meanwhile, Sung Tae-yoon, presidential chief of Staff for Policy, called for groundbreaking policy since the low birthrate issue is important not only for the current generation but also for the future generation.

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