This year, the Low Birthrate and Aging Society Commission (LBASC), which experienced operational disruptions due to a complete budget cut, has begun preparations to resume normal operations. Amid the effective collapse of the population strategy planning department (population department), a key policy of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, it has started discussions with the Ministry of Economy and Finance regarding next year's budget.
There were no plans in President Lee Jae-myung's campaign promises for the establishment of the population department. It remains to be seen whether the LBASC can secure the necessary resources to continue its population policy functions, such as increasing the birth rate.
According to the government on the 24th, the LBASC, which oversees measures for low birth rates, recently submitted a budget request for the coming year to the Ministry of Economy and Finance. This budget aims to cover operational expenses for the office, policy promotions, and support for commissioned projects by the Population Policy Evaluation Center.
The LBASC had a budget of 10.4 billion won assigned last year, but this year's budget has been completely cut to 0 won. The budget was not allocated because after former President Yoon Suk-yeol announced the establishment of the population department as the new command post for low birth rates in May last year, it was expected that the population department would replace the LBASC.
However, discussions on establishing the population department have stalled since the impeachment situation. Until earlier this year, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety showed a willingness to include the 'establishment of the population department' in the 2025 major work promotion plan, but bills containing the proposal for the establishment of the population department and the comprehensive amendments to the Basic Law on Low Birthrate and Aging Society are still pending in the National Assembly.
During the presidential election process, references to the population department disappeared. The low birthrate and aging response policies contained in President Lee Jae-myung's campaign promises do not include any mention of establishing the population department. It appears that the current LBASC will take on the role of comprehensively responding to population issues.
Inside the government, there are voices noting that even though the administration has changed, responses to the population structure changes caused by low birth rates must continue. In particular, since the total fertility rate rebounded to 0.72 last year for the first time in nine years, it is being assessed that the next 5 to 6 years will be a 'golden time' to reverse the low birthrate trend.
Joo Hyung-hwan, vice chair of the LBASC, noted, 'The recent rebound in the total fertility rate and the increase in marriage numbers, along with the recovery in positive perceptions of the necessity of marriage and children, are encouraging changes,' and added, 'Now is the golden time to maximize the effects of policies, and consistent and focused policy responses over the next few years are more important than ever.'
The LBASC, which has struggled to operate due to a complete budget cut, has recently received 1.37 billion won from the general contingency fund in January and 498 million won from the supplementary budget last month to barely resume operations. The budget received as contingency funding was enough to cover three months of personnel costs and six months of minimal operating expenses. Before the supplementary budget, even commissioned research on low birthrate response policies and policy promotions were impossible.
During discussions on the second supplementary budget planned after the Lee Jae-myung administration began, a budget of about 5 billion won was requested, but it was not reflected in the final proposal. A government official said, 'It was judged that allocating budget to the LBASC does not match the nature of the second supplementary budget.'
It has been reported that the LBASC has requested next year's budget to be at a normal level. In this regard, a government official stated, 'If the process regarding the population department remains as it is, it is appropriate that a budget for the operation of the LBASC should be reflected.'
The final variable is said to hinge on discussions within the Presidential Committee on Policy Planning. This is because there may be further discussions about transitioning to the population department within the committee.
Regarding this, an official from the Presidential Committee on Policy Planning commented, 'Considering that there was no proposal for the establishment of the population department in President Lee's campaign promises, it may not be a subject of review by the committee,' and added, 'Discussions on organizational restructuring have not yet progressed.'