The government's major policies to address low birth rates have stalled without passing through the National Assembly. Plans such as establishing a Population Strategy Planning Department, integrating kindergartens and childcare centers, and providing tax benefits for work-family balance are making no progress due to conflicts between the ruling and opposition parties and resistance from stakeholders. In particular, concerns are growing about a gap in responses to low birth rates as the establishment of the Population Department is delayed.
According to the National Assembly's bill information system on the 7th, the 'Government Organization Act Partial Amendment Bill' and the 'Basic Law on Low Birth Rates and an Aging Society Comprehensive Amendment Bill' for the establishment of the Population Department are currently under committee review. President Yoon Suk-yeol announced in May of last year that he would create the Population Department to replace the existing Low Birth Rates and Aging Society Commission. The Population Department is expected to have the authority to pre-review budgets related to low birth rates and to be elevated to a vice-ministerial level, enhancing policy implementation capabilities compared to the previous commission. The government set an ambitious goal of launching the Population Department by the end of 2024, but the bill has not passed even as the year has changed. As a result, some analysts suggest that the Population Department may only be established after a new government takes office.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety is still expressing its intent to establish the Population Department, but the specific launch schedule remains uncertain. On the 14th of last month, the ministry included the 'establishment of the Population Department' in its major work promotion plans for 2025 and held the second interagency meeting with the Ministry of Strategy and Finance on the 16th of the same month. However, due to the bill being pending, it is unable to advance detailed plans such as ▲ budget pre-review system evaluation ▲ budget formulation ▲ securing office buildings and related facilities. A Ministry of the Interior and Safety official said, 'We have prepared an enforcement decree ahead of the establishment of the Population Department,' adding, 'We are currently waiting for the National Assembly's passage of the bill.' Given this situation, the Ministry of Strategy and Finance allocated a budget of 1.37 billion won for operating costs and personnel expenses to the commission at the beginning of January. This represents an 87% reduction compared to last year's budget (10.497 billion won). A Ministry of Strategy and Finance official noted, 'We allocated three months of personnel costs and six to nine months of operation costs, while completely cutting the publicity budget.'
However, even if the three bills on kindergarten and childcare integration pass the National Assembly, there is still a long way to go. The lack of a detailed government plan and severe conflicts among stakeholders contribute to this stagnation. The government has not clearly calculated the budget necessary for improving the teacher-to-young child ratio and expanding the usage time of kindergartens and childcare centers. Additionally, conflicts among kindergarten and childcare center stakeholders regarding operational standards and teacher qualification standards are escalating. Even public hearings held by the Ministry of Education have been repeatedly canceled due to backlash, suggesting that significant time will be required for policy advancement.
There are calls for 'work-family balance' as the key to solving the low birth rate issue, but related tax proposals have also been blocked in the National Assembly. The Ministry of Strategy and Finance previously announced a mid- to long-term plan to promote a work-family balance culture by providing tax benefits to 'family-friendly corporations.' On September 12 of last year, a bill titled 'Partial Amendment of the Act on Gender Equality in Employment and Support for Work-Family Balance,' which includes the selection of outstanding companies and administrative and financial support, was submitted to the National Assembly. However, even five months later, the bill is still pending in committee. A Ministry of Strategy and Finance official stated, 'After the amendment bill that contains the basis for support passes, the Ministry of Employment and Labor plans to create a certification system, but the law has yet to pass in the National Assembly.'
저출산 문제를 해결하기 위해서 가장 필요한 건 '일·가정 양립'이라는 말이 나오지만, 관련된 세제안 추진도 국회에 가로막혔다. 앞서 기획재정부는 지난해 '육아 친화 기업에 세제 혜택'을 주는 방식으로 일·가정 양립 문화를 확산하겠다고 중장기 대책을 발표했다. 이후 국회에 지난해 9월12일 '일·가정 양립 우수기업의 선정 및 행정적·재정적 지원'이라는 내용을 담은 '남녀고용평등과 일·가정 양립 지원에 관한 법률 일부개정법률안'이 제출됐다. 하지만 5개월가량 지난 지금까지도 법안이 위원회에 계류돼 있는 상황이다. 기재부 관계자는 "지원 근거를 담은 개정안이 통과된 뒤, 고용노동부가 인증 제도를 만들면 세제를 지원할 계획이었으나, 아직 국회에서 법이 통과되지 못했다"고 말했다.