The Economic, Social and Labor Council Chairman, Kim Ji-hyung, met with Osa Hanson, Chair of the Swedish Government Commission for a Future with Children, and Carl-Ulf Andersson, the Swedish Ambassador to South Korea, on the 17th in the chairman’s office in Seoul. They discussed policy experiences and cooperation strategies to improve birth rates in both countries.
This official meeting was arranged as the Swedish government visited Korea for policy discussions after establishing the Swedish Government Commission for a Future with Children to address their low birth rate issue.
Recently, Sweden has been experiencing a decrease in birth rates. To tackle this, they launched the Commission on July 1st, which is responsible for identifying causes of low birth rates and drawing up policy directions for building a child and family-friendly society. Sweden requested the meeting to understand the interconnectedness of low birth rates and labor market policies, drawing from Korea’s social dialogue experiences.
Chairman Kim highlighted during the meeting that Korea is in a complex transition and that issues like population decline and low birth rates pose significant challenges to the sustainability of the economy and society. He pointed out that the new government has prioritized addressing the low birth rate, making it a key agenda item for ongoing discussions within the Economic, Social and Labor Council.
He expressed hope that the visit of the Swedish Commission would serve as an opportunity for both countries to share policy experiences and strengthen collaborative frameworks. He emphasized the importance of involving various stakeholders in policy-making through social dialogue as a pivotal strategy in addressing low birth rates.
Osa Hanson introduced the comprehensive investigations underway by the Swedish government to understand the structural causes of low birth rates and create a family-friendly environment. She expressed interest in Korea’s approach to linking labor market policies with family policies.
This meeting has been assessed as an opportunity for cross-policy experience exchange and to explore ongoing cooperation, confirming the potential for collaboration based on social dialogue as Korea and Sweden tackle the common issue of low birth rates.
