Global Family Forum highlights traditional family values amid Korea's population crisis

Korea's traditional extended-family culture could help address the country's low birthrate and deepening population crisis, according to experts and civil society leaders at the 2026 Global Family Forum in Seoul.

The forum, hosted by the Federation for Korean Families, was held Saturday at the Textile Center in Seoul.

Held under the theme, "The Population and Family Crisis and the Value of Korean Family Culture: Transitioning toward a Family-Friendly Society and Ensuring Sustainability for Future Generations," the forum drew some 600 participants, including representatives from 180 member and partner organizations, academics, experts, civil society groups and policymakers.

Participants said financial support alone would not be enough to tackle Korea's low birthrate. Alongside expanded housing and child care support, the country needs a social and cultural environment in which marriage, childbirth and family formation are viewed more positively, they added.

Korea's total fertility rate rose for the second consecutive year to 0.80 in 2025, though it remains among the lowest in the OECD. From 2006 to 2025, the government spent a combined 380 trillion won ($275.7 billion) on policies aimed at tackling the country's low birthrate.

"The breakdown of the family is a global, civilizational crisis confronting even advanced European countries that have led the development of modern welfare systems," said Hwang In-ja, standing representative of the Federation for Korean Families, in her opening remarks.

Yoon Jong-pil, a former lawmaker, said family policy should not rely solely on government subsidies and welfare programs. She argued that the family should be understood not only in economic or demographic terms, but also as a community shaped by culture and shared values.

"There is a profound problem with attempting to address policies concerning women and families solely through financial assistance and government programs," Yoon said.

From families to society, and nation

In a keynote speech, Hyun Jin Preston Moon, founder and chairman of the Global Peace Foundation, said restoring Korea's family ideal was an important part of realizing what he called the "Korean Dream."

He called for Korea's founding spirit of Hongik Ingan, or benefiting all humanity, to be put into practice within families and extended to society and the nation, ultimately contributing to the creation of a unified nation committed to world peace.

"Korea's traditional family ideal is the culmination of these efforts carried forward over thousands of years of history," Moon said.

He said families that recognize the value of every member, support one another and pass down love and responsibility across generations represent an important historical achievement of Korean civilization. Korea should not simply follow Western social models, he added, but should draw on its own cultural heritage to address the challenges it faces.

"The solutions to the problems we face today cannot be found through government policies or incentives designed merely to encourage marriage," he said. "We must address the fundamental issues."

He said stronger families could contribute to broader social cohesion and linked the restoration of family values to his wider vision of Korean unification and social renewal.

Bernadette Therese C. Fernandez, the Philippine ambassador to Korea, also stressed the importance of social and institutional support for families.

"Let us work together to improve the lives of our peoples by building a strong foundation of support from individuals, institutions and communities," Fernandez said, adding that such cooperation could help families in both countries respond to challenges at home and in a rapidly changing global environment.

The second session of the forum focused on policy and education under the broader theme of the population and family crisis.

Yoo Kyung-myung, director of the Human & Family Global Research Institute, proposed a family-centered character education model emphasizing respect, responsibility and intergenerational care.

He said parents should model respect and responsibility at home so that children can learn to extend those values to their neighbors and the wider community.

Still, according to Yoo, preserving traditional family values should not mean restoring authoritarian family structures, but rather respecting the equal dignity and autonomy of all family members while strengthening shared responsibility.

Choi Eun-sil, an adjunct professor at Korea University and director of the Institute for Consumption and Value, called for family policy to move beyond financial support and place greater emphasis on caregiving, emotional bonds and work-family balance.

Choi proposed expanding education for parents and prospective parents, promoting community-based cooperative child care, easing Korea's competition-driven education culture and encouraging media portrayals that highlight the everyday value of family life.