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It gives me a great pleasure in welcoming all of the distinguished guests to the ‘2nd
Seoul Population Symposium’ co-hosted by the ‘First-Class Economic Daily’ Financial
News, the Seoul Population Forum and Korea Biotechnology Industry Organization.
Especially I would like to thank Mr. Neung-Hoo Park, the Minister of Health and Welfare,
Mr. Sang-Hee Kim, vice-chairman of the Presidential Committee on Aging Society and
Population Policy, and Mr. Seung-Gyoo Lee, vice-president of Korea Biotechnology
Industry Organization, who participated in today’s event held for celebrating World
Population Day designated by the United Nations.
The demographic statistics announced by the government at the end of every month
indicate that the population growth rate has been gradually declining. According to this
April’s population trends released recently, the number of births were 27,700, which is
an all-time low.
The total fertility rate in Korea last year fell to 1.05 children per woman. If this trend
continues, it cannot be ruled out that it might fall under 1.0 children this year.
Population exports analyze that “if the total fertility rate is under 1.0 children per
woman, it’s like members in society think the world they live in may ‘not be sustainable’.
Dramatic measures are required. Although more than 100 trillion won has been funded
to overcome low birthrate for the last decade, laughter of children gradually disappears.
Local governments are struggling with fewer people, which will ‘lead the local
governments to disappear’.
Last year the Financial News held the population symposium for the first time in order
to suggest a solution to the population issue, the greatest problem Korea is facing.
This second symposium, following the first held last year, will focus on analyzing super
low birth rate and the weakening of family’s functions, and policy measures extensively.
The Seoul Population Symposium held under the theme “Family Restoring and New
Familism” will be the place of high-quality discourse that finds a solution to low birth rate
and aging. I wish all of you well and hope that you all will have a great time ahead.
Thank you.
Joo-Hyun Kim
Chairman & CEO,
The Financial News