Vice chair of presidential low birth rate committee visits North Gyeongsang care sites

North Gyeongsang Province said Monday that Kim Jin-o, vice chair of the Presidential Committee on Aging Society and Low Birth Rate, visited the provincial government office in Andong and met with Gov. Lee Cheol-woo to discuss policy cooperation on the national challenges of low birth rates and an aging society.

During the meeting, the province shared key policies and outcomes from its "War on Low Birth Rate" initiative — the first of its kind in the country — and presented a comprehensive strategy covering the full life cycle, including marriage, childbirth, childcare, residential support and employment.

Through its "War on Low Birth Rate Season 3," the province said it is building a policy framework that goes beyond simple birth incentives to address every stage of young people's lives — from meeting partners and getting married, through pregnancy and childbirth, child-rearing, work-life balance and settling in the region.

The province is also pursuing social and cultural improvements alongside institutional reform through partnerships with the private sector and local communities, focusing its administrative resources on creating an environment conducive to having and raising children.

North Gyeongsang Province also proposed the establishment of a national population policy research institute — tentatively named the National Population Policy Research Institute — and called for it to be located in the province to strengthen the expertise and continuity of national population policy.

"The low birth rate and aging problem cannot be solved by the central government alone," Kim said. "We will actively identify and share best practices from local governments that are producing results on the ground, and link them to national-level policy."

Gov. Lee said the province would work closely with the central government to share North Gyeongsang's experience and achievements in low birth rate policy, in line with the launch of the central government's population strategy committee, so that effective population policies can spread nationwide.