Local gov'ts reorganize to better address population decline

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With Korea's declining population recognized as a critical national challenge, municipal administrations are stepping up their efforts to create and expand agencies focused on population issues, according to officials, Tuesday.

Particularly in rural areas, efforts go beyond addressing low birthrates. They aim to curb youth migration and attract newcomers to stabilize local communities.

In May, the government established a dedicated office under the senior presidential secretary to address the nation’s declining birthrate.

Building on these efforts, a task force was officially launched to establish the Population Strategy Planning Ministry, which will act as a central authority to coordinate national efforts addressing the low birthrate crisis.

Local governments are also ramping up efforts, establishing population-focused departments and implementing strategies tailored to regional needs.

South Chungcheong Province launched a bureau dedicated to population strategy to tackle its population decline crisis.

The bureau is tasked with overseeing child care, work-family balance initiatives, support for women and immigration efforts to counter the population decline driven by persistently low birthrates.

The bureau comprises three divisions — Population Policy, Women and Family Policy and Foreign Residents Policy — with a total of 13 teams.

These departments focus on providing 24/7 child care, fostering a child-friendly culture, supporting women’s social and economic participation and promoting the growth and integration of foreign residents as valuable contributors to the community.

The province anticipates a strong synergy in population policy by unifying population crisis response efforts that were previously spread across multiple departments.

Since July, North Gyeongsang Province has been operating a dedicated Population Crisis Office, expanding a task force that was initially launched earlier this year.

The Population Crisis Office is now an official bureau of the provincial government and consists of the Division of Population Policy Response, the Division of Child Care, the Division of Women and Family and the Division of Education and Youth.

Now an official bureau within the provincial government, the office includes dedicated divisions for Population Policy Response, Child Care, Women and Family and Education and Youth. It is tasked with coordinating low birthrate initiatives, promoting childbirth and managing Nulbom School, an after-school program launched by the Ministry of Education.

To further address low birthrates, the province has also been pursuing plans for an integrated support center since September.

With an investment of 5 billion won ($3.61 million), this center will provide one-stop services for marriage, pregnancy and child care, bringing together essential resources aimed at supporting families and encouraging population growth.

Minister of Public Administration and Security Lee Sang-min announces plans for establishing the Population Strategy Planning Ministry at Government Complex Seoul, July 1. Courtesy of Ministry of Public Administration and Security

With hopes for a dramatic rebound in birthrates diminishing, some local governments are actively working to attract and support foreign residents as a way to stabilize and grow their communities.

In July, the Gyeonggi Provincial Government established the Immigrant Society Bureau, marking the country’s first local government bureau dedicated to supporting foreign residents.

This new bureau includes two divisions — the Immigrant Society Policy Division, which absorbs the foreign affairs work previously handled by the Labor Bureau, and the Immigrant Society Support Division, which focuses on supporting and integrating the immigrant population.

Explaining the bureau’s purpose, the Gyeonggi Provincial Government emphasized a shift toward viewing foreign residents as essential partners rather than providing only limited support for multicultural families and foreign workers.

The bureau aims to offer comprehensive assistance for employment, housing, education and welfare to foreign residents.

As of March, there were 666,767 foreign residents in the province, the highest in the country.

Of Korea’s total registered foreign population, 31.7 percent, or about 435,000 people, live in the province, along with 43 percent, or 231,000, of foreign nationals residing in the country.

Geochang County in South Gyeongsang Province has seen a significant population decline, dropping from 82,016 residents in 1989 to around 60,000 in the 2000s.

In response, the county launched a department for population education in January 2019, dedicated to reversing this trend, followed by a department for youth policy in January 2021 to encourage young people to move to and settle in the area.

To attract a younger population, Geochang has introduced various initiatives, including creating stable residential options for college students, strengthening higher education to build local value, developing social innovation capability and fostering an environment where young people are encouraged to stay.

The county is also focusing on retaining its student population by strengthening partnerships with local educational institutions, including eight high schools and two universities, to build a foundation for long-term growth.

Additionally, Geochang aims to draw in nonresident employees by providing tailored settlement support and is working to expand production-based job opportunities to attract new residents and stabilize the community.

Since July, Gangwon Province has expanded its existing balanced development department into a Regional Extinction Response Policy Office, which now includes a dedicated team for foreigner policy.

The office is tasked with developing a five-year basic plan and implementation strategies for areas affected by population decline. It will also facilitate population adjustment and countermeasure meetings, manage a consultative governance body and oversee the enactment and amendment of ordinances related to population policy.

Meanwhile, the foreign policy team is focused on creating and managing comprehensive plans for foreign workers and immigration policies, including the conversion of foreign visas.

In June, South Jeolla Province reorganized its administrative structure to enhance its focus on population and youth issues, elevating the office from its previous task force format.

This newly structured office will oversee critical population policies, including strategies to address local extinction and manage immigration and foreign worker initiatives.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government also established the Global City Policy Bureau in July to meet the increasing demand for foreign personnel and tackle the city's low birthrate.

"As we confront declining birthrates and an aging population, the need for foreign workers is becoming more pressing," said Lee Hae-sun, director-general of the Global City Policy Bureau at the city government.

"To address this, we have created a framework for a systematic foreign immigration policy, with various departments collaborating to enhance the living environment for foreign residents."