Yoon taps Hanyang Univ. professor as senior secretary for low birthrate issues
Economics professor at Hanyang University, You Hye-mi, speaks during an interview in Seongdong District, Seoul, Jan. 24. Korea Times file
President Yoon Suk Yeol has tapped an economics professor at Hanyang University as the inaugural senior presidential secretary for low birthrate issues, sources said Thursday.
The presidential office is expected to announce the nomination of You Hye-mi as early as later in the day, according to the sources.
If appointed, You will be the only woman among senior presidential secretaries and other senior presidential aides.
Yoon instructed his office in May to establish the position of senior secretary for low birthrate issues, shortly after he announced plans to create a new ministry handling the matter.
The presidential office initially vetted multiple candidates regardless of gender but later focused on choosing a professional "working mom" in line with Yoon's wish to have a woman as the inaugural senior secretary for low birthrate issues.
Yoon has said Korea is in a "demographic national emergency" due to its declining population.
Korea's total fertility rate, or the average number of children expected to be born to a woman over her lifetime, reached a record low of 0.72 in 2023.
The figure is far below the 2.1 births per woman needed to maintain a stable population without immigration. (Yonhap)