Provincial govt heads in South Korea propose policy directions to solve low fertility rate

Seoul, May 31: Provincial government heads in South Korea, on Friday, proposed various policy directions to develop their cities as a potential solution to the country's rapidly ageing population coupled with a low fertility rate.

The remarks were made during a session hosted by Yonhap News TV on global branding policies for globalisation at the Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity, an annual international peace forum held on South Korea's southern resort island, Jeju. Global branding of cities is expected to be a good solution for revitalising local cities, said Seong Ghi-hong, CEO and President of Yonhap news agency, during the session's opening remarks.

South 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, one of the lowest in the world. Yonhap reported that North Gyeongsang Province Gov. Lee Cheol-woo highlighted the importance of regional integration in addressing the low birthrate.

The main cause of the low birth rate is the concentration in the wider Seoul area. To prevent this, regional areas must have good schools, medical facilities and cultural facilities like those in the area, Lee said. North Jeolla Province Gover Kim Kwan-young emphasised his province as a test bed for South Korea's future, vowing to lead the country with his province.

North Jeolla Province has been known by its name for 128 years, but it was renamed North Jeolla Special Self-Governing Province on January 18 this year, Kim said.