edaily strategy forum

"If the low birth rate issue continues, Korea could face the risk of extinction by 2750." This alarming warning from David Coleman, a world-renowned demographer and honorary professor at Oxford University, has shaken Korean society. The chilling notion that our nation, with its half-millennium history of resilience against numerous foreign invasions, could disappear within a few centuries due to the demographic cliff caused by low birth rates is unsettling.

This is not a distant future issue. According to Statistics Korea, the total population of our country is projected to decrease from 51.67 million in 2022 to approximately 36.22 million by 2072, a reduction of about 30%. Last year's total fertility rate was the lowest ever recorded at 0.72, the lowest among the 38 OECD countries. The qualitative change in the population structure is also evident. As early as next year, Korea will enter a super-aged society with more than one-fifth of the population aged 65 and older. The reality of the world's fastest low birth rate and aging population fills us with a sense of despair.

Efforts have not been lacking. Over the past two decades, the government has poured over 340 trillion won into low birth rate measures, but the effectiveness remains questionable. Breaking the vicious cycle created by the low birth rate and preparing for the inevitable super-aged, shrinking society requires new imagination and a paradigm shift.

The reason the 15th annual 'Edaily Strategy Forum,' Korea's leading knowledge conference, has once again chosen the population issue as its central theme is precisely this. This year, beyond raising awareness of the severity of the population issue, the forum aims to derive specific strategic tasks, including government choices and roles spanning all generations. To this end, we have prepared special symposiums with renowned domestic and international research institutions such as the Brookings Institution and the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, offering an upgraded program for a feast of knowledge. We hope that the Edaily Strategy Forum will undoubtedly serve as a knowledge platform for addressing the population issue, providing a clear compass for each generation. We earnestly request your interest and support.