Korea's Demographic Challenge

A Lecture by MP Na Kyung-won, Republic of Korea

South Korea has the lowest birth rate in the world, with a fertility rate of 0.72 recorded in 2023. Countries need a birthrate of 2.1 percent to maintain a stable population.

In May of this year, President Yoon Suk Yeol announced he would ask for Parliament's help in forming a new ministry to tackle what some demographers have called a "crisis". One of the most prominent voices in Korea on this issue is MP Na Kyung-won.

Na Kyung-won is a long serving member of parliament who is a member of the conservative party. She became the first Female Floor Leader in the Liberty Korea Party and is a judge in the Seoul District Court as well as a mother of two.

Over the past 16 years, successive administrations in Korea have tried, with little effect, to raise the birth rate. Strategies, such as extended paid maternity leave and cash payments to new parents to help with the cost of child rearing, have been utilized.

MP Na will discuss the issue, which is not only a challenge for Korea but for many nations, and what solutions she sees on the horizon.

Participants: 

• Na Kyung-won, MP, Republic of Korea
• Eric Hendriks, Visiting Fellow, Danube Institute
• Helen Roy, Writer specializing in family policy, women's issues, political philosophy

Language: English

Date: Monday, October 28, 2024, 10.00 AM
Venue: Lónyay-Hatvany Villa - 1. Csónak str., 1015 Budapest
(Entrance: Aranybástya Restaurant)

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