[Exclusive] 'Lee Jae-myung's Population Organization' to Debut... National Policy Planning Committee Launches 'Population Issue TF'

It has been confirmed that the National Policy Planning Committee's new task force, the 'Population TF,' will be officially launched and begin operations next week. Although President Lee Jae-myung's campaign pledges included detailed tasks related to responding to low birth rates and an aging society, there had been criticism that there was no overarching framework for population policy. Now, for the first time, discussions about a dedicated 'Lee Jae-myung-style population organization' are expected to begin.

According to the National Policy Planning Committee and related ministries on the 26th, a new Population TF will be established under the Social Affairs Division 1 next week and will officially begin its work. The TF will reportedly consider all options, including whether to establish the Population Strategy Planning Department (Population Department) to oversee population policy, how to operate the Low Fertility and Aging Society Committee in the future, and whether a separate committee should be created in addition to the Low Fertility Committee. A source from the National Policy Planning Committee said, "The key issue in population matters is governance," adding, "Although governance was not highlighted in the campaign pledges, there is consensus within the committee that population issues are important and require careful consideration."

This TF marks the first time the Lee Jae-myung administration is directly discussing a government reorganization to address population issues. During the presidential campaign and in the pledge booklet, President Lee only promised specific measures related to low birth rates—such as extending the childcare allowance until age 18 and expanding income tax deductions for families with multiple children—but did not mention any new government bodies like a population department. Moreover, after President Lee took office, the Chief Secretary for Low Birthrate Response (a vice-ministerial post created under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration) was abolished, and the Secretary for Population Policy—a director-general-level position—was placed under the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Secretary, which is less directly related to population policy. Critics say the new administration has prioritized AI and R&D over population issues in its policy agenda.

However, according to the National Policy Planning Committee and relevant ministries, the committee recently received a separate policy briefing from the Population Promotion Planning Group under the Office for Government Policy Coordination, opening the door for governance discussions. The Population Promotion Planning Group was established during the Yoon Suk-yeol administration to coordinate inter-ministerial efforts on population policy. Another official from the committee stated, "There is a consensus that population policy governance should be more robust than the current form of the Low Fertility Committee."

Reported by Nam Jeong-min and Jeong Yeong-hyo, peux@hankyung.com