Lee calls for ‘fundamental shift’ in South Korea's population policy

What happened: President Lee Jae Myung called for a "fundamental shift" in population policy at the inaugural meeting of the presidential Population Strategy Committee, which unveiled a five-year strategy for 2026 to 2030. Key numbers: Youth employment target rises from 45 percent in 2025 to 50 percent by 2030. Why it matters: The committee, chaired by Lee, has a broader mandate to coordinate demographic policies across agencies, and the government sees the next five years as a critical window for systems including pensions, health care, education and national defense.

President Lee Jae Myung called for a "fundamental shift" in population policy at the inaugural meeting of the presidential Population Strategy Committee, which unveiled a five-year strategy for 2026 to 2030.

The committee, chaired by Lee, has a broader mandate to coordinate demographic policies across agencies, and the government sees the next five years as a critical window for systems including pensions, health care, education and national defense.