We Need Lifestyle Change to Fight Low Birthrate
By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
Very few would disagree that Jeon Jae-hee is one of the most powerful women in Korea at the moment ― she heads the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Family Affairs, handling a budget of more than 18 trillion won ($14 billion) a year, and is the boss of thousands of civil servants and multiple subordinate organizations.
Picked as one of the most important Cabinet members of the Lee Myung-bak administration, Jeon seems to be flying higher than ever. However, what worries her most these days is Korea's low birthrate and aging society.
Already the number of workers aged between 15 and 49 is shrinking, and by 2018, the number of those under 65 years old supporting senior citizens will dramatically decrease even further.
``If we do not take countermeasures, the future of Korea will be unpredictable,'' she said in an interview with The Korea Times. ``The government will take all necessary steps. However, what is more important is changing young people's perceptions about having children.''
The aging population will pose serious problems especially within the welfare system. Underlying public concern over national pension and national health insurance fund depletion shows that the shrinking population will affect everybody's life here.
Jeon said at the moment a remedy is possible, but unless the public comes to truly understand the gravity of the situation, people may have to envision a ``Korea without Koreans.''
Why is this happening? Moreover, what can be done about it?
The minister Jeon said the low birthrate is a result of more women participating in the workforce and the lack of a social system that makes these people focus on their careers more.
That is exactly why the government is set to share the cost of childrearing and will support pregnant women. ``Pregnancy and childrearing were once considered very personal. Who would have imagined that the authorities would be seeking to intervene?''' she said.
The government is supporting families with multiple children with financial supplements for childcare including nursery tuition, dependent on their financial status. About 470,000 are expected to benefit from the program. The government has recently announced that those who do not send their children to nurseries will also receive benefits.
Electronic childcare vouchers are available to help mothers buy childcare goods, and more nurseries and kindergartens will extend their opening hours to help working mothers, Jeon said.
However, Jeon said that these programs were makeshift measures until something really fundamental changes ― the public's perception toward having children.
Competition vs. Happiness
Being a mother of two ― a son and a daughter ― the minister said she sometimes feels sorry that many mothers consider having children as a pain rather than a joy. She blames this on the hectic lifestyle modern Koreans are living ― children have to study till late at night to enter a high-level university, then strive to get a good job and struggle to survive in the business jungle.
Jeon said it's time Koreans give a second thought about this severe competition and diligence that made them so famous around the world. ``I appreciate those qualities have helped to produce such rapid and large economic development. I know the things we cherish owe much to their pain and toil. But now, are we happy? Are we happy to see our children running from one cram school to another, having to stay up all night in front of their desk looking at books without really appreciating what they do?'' she said.
She added more on the future of Korea. ``Let's say you made it to an elite course, opened the gate and earned a lucrative position. You still will have to retire around 50. What is your life after that?'' she said.
Jeon said many young people experiencing this rat race do not dare to have children. ``What pressures them more is high private tuition costs. Having to pay hundreds of thousands of won a month on something that even the children do not want to take is a big burden to them,'' she said.
However, changing perceptions toward lifestyles doesn't sound easy ― in many of the places we go to we receive messages calling out for success and moneymaking, encouraging us to strive more to achieve it, she said. ``It is certainly not something the government can change,'' she said.
She instead called out for help from non-governmental organizations to hold campaigns and events to raise public awareness of the issue. ``I call civic groups the fourth power in modern society,'' she said.
Steps for Interracial Families
Jeon has been keen on sending out the message through the media, too. ``On Wednesday I had lunch with the managing editors of women's magazines. I asked them to put some inspiring messages about pregnancy and childrearing. I know many women read them,'' she smiled.
She has steadily taken steps for interracial or multicultural families. She disclosed Thursday several projects to support these families from birth to old age.
According to the plan, the government will provide tailor-made services for pregnancy and health care as well as education for children and mothers. It will also strictly manage matchmaking companies for interracial marriages.
The program is expected to benefit mainly foreign female spouses. ``As a woman I felt the necessity to help those women who left their homeland behind to marry their Korean husband. I think it's time for society to embrace them as members of our society and help them adjust to their life in Korea,'' Jeon said.
She also said people from various cultural backgrounds should also keep a piece of their heart for their mother countries. ``It is true that the country has been trying to embrace these spouses but we will try to let them keep their foreign identity but still mix with us as members of society'' she said.
For the children of these multicultural families, Jeon plans to hold programs letting them know about their mother's or father's countries.
Classes where the children will be able to read fairytales in their mother's or father's respective tongues or where a whole family can learn about their indigenous culture will be established, she said.
The minister was also strongly opposed to the wrong perceptions about these families. She said they are not an object to understand or be considerate of, but are the same type of families as anybody else.
``Many people talk about how to treat multi-racial children. The majority of them are Korasian (compound of Korean and other Asian). I think mixed blood children are nothing to be proud of nor be ashamed of. We are strictly the same,'' she said when asked how the government could raise the pride of those children. ``However, we may need some effort in the early stages ― we plan to start by educating teachers,'' she added.
Taking care of multicultural families is not just an ethical issue for the government, she said ― these children will become cultural ambassadors for Korea in the era of globalization.
``Also, the spouses themselves are already working as ambassadors. If you have a family living in Korea leading a happy life, how would Korea be portrayed? That's a promotional effect you can't buy,'' she said.
Also, Jeon carefully said she believes these families are the only ones showing an increasing birthrate. ``So they are the real patriots,'' she smiled.
Concerns Over Pension
The future ahead of Jeon doesn't seem too rosy these days. The financial difficulties may delay the implementation of welfare projects, while media reports on lame management of the national pension and national health insurance funds are fiercer than ever.
Jeon denounced such voices. ``The fear of national pension depleting by 2060 is just a theory. Every five years the government is reassessing it and till 2060, we have various ideas ahead.
``We are pushing to lift the top limit for the highest income bracket so the more you earn the more you pay into the system. The plan is in the final stage of discussions with corporate employers who have to pay half the premium on behalf of their employees. Also the funds are managed by professionals and the government will support these people to make the biggest profits ever,'' she said. She also explained that the management is heading for security first, so people shouldn't be too worried about whether they will safely receive their pension.
She also stood firm on the necessity of expanded welfare. ``It's people with low incomes who suffer the most during a recession. That's why we need to be more aggressive about welfare at this time. It's also an investment for the future,'' she said.
``The four basic insurance systems ― employment, health, industrial injury and pensions _ have already been stabilized. Let us tackle problems with communication and open hearts,'' Jeon said.
Health, Welfare and Family Affairs Minister Jeon Jae-hee studied law at Yeungnam University in Daegu. She was the first woman to pass the civil servant examination and worked at the Ministry of Labor before being elected to the National Assembly in 2000 on the ticket of the Grand National Party. She also served as mayor of Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi Province. Jeon was appointed as the minister while serving as an Assembly member in early August. She is said to be louder in action than words. One of her former co-workers at the labor ministry said she was stern but soft, active but calm.