KIHASA has released the March issue of the Health and Welfare Forum, No. 316. (The articles are available for download here.)

Summary of the Foreword: "Evaluating and Advancing Policies for Low Fertility and an Aging Society," Kim Young Mi, Vice-Chair, Presidential Committee on Low Fertility and Population Policy

How we respond to low fertility and prepare for population aging is an issue so important that people's quality of life, Korea's sustainability, and  even our future depend on it. A substantial amount of financial resources has been invested in the implementation of a large number of programs and projects, which over the years have met with considerable success. However, when these initiatives are evaluated from the perspective of the public as the policy consumers, rather than from the perspective of the government as policy provider, it is hard to say that those policy efforts have been as successful. It's time for more accurate and objective policy evaluation. The March issue of the Health and Welfare Forum evaluates the programs and policies of the central and local governments contained in the previous and current Basic Plans for Low Fertility and Aging Society, and makes suggestions for their effective implementation. The following are three of the most important such suggestions made to the Presidential Committee on Aging Society and Population Policy: First, it is essential to consider the needs of policy consumers to ensure that policies are effective and achieve their intended outcomes. Policies that are delivered in a segmented way by different government departments and designed from the perspective of the provider rather than the consumer may not be effective and may leave their effect less felt. Second, it's also critical to establish policy goals and performance indicators that are objective and reasonable. This makes it possible to monitor policy performance and assess whether policies need to be modified and supplemented. It's also important to distinguish between medium- and long-term structural reform tasks and short-term improvement tasks, prioritize accordingly, and make informed choices. Third, in terms of policy governance, it's important to strengthen the control tower function of the Presidential Committee on Low Fertility and Population Policy. While the committee has so far been responsible for coordinating the policies of various ministries, it's important that it also take a proactive role in forecasting the medium- and long-term demographic structure, changes in family structure and their effects, as well as the values of various demographic groups and changes in policy demands. By doing so, the committee can set response strategies and tasks proactively, ensuring that policies are designed to meet future challenges and the needs of the public. While the ongoing demographic change can appear to be a crisis, it's important to remember that with strategic planning, we can turn it into an opportunity. By developing a counter-strategy in 2023, we can lay the foundations for a sustainable welfare state that meets the needs of the public and addresses the challenges of the future.

Article I: "Policy Monitoring and Tasks for Pregnancy and Childbirth Support," Lee Soyoung, KIHASA

Korea's demographic structure is rapidly changing, with low birth rates and rapid aging, and this trend is expected to continue. In response, the government has established and is promoting the 4th Basic Plan for Low Fertility and Aging Society (2021-2025). The purpose of this article is to monitor the policies on pregnancy and childbirth that are part of the 4th Basic Plan for Low Fertility and Aging Society. As a large budget is invested in responding to demographic changes, various views should be collected and taken into account, including those of policy recipients, suppliers, and experts. Also, based on the monitoring results, policies need to be revised and supplemented.

Article II: "Monitoring of Work-Life Balance Policies," Cho Sungho, KIHASA

Work-life balance policies have been a major pillar of the Basic Plan for Low Fertility and Aging Society, which has been in effect for the past 20 years. However, not enough monitoring has been conducted of those policies. For the present study, 17 work-life balance policy experts were selected based on their expertise in the areas of policy purpose and contents, project promotion systems, contents, schedules, management, and performance assessment methods. Our analysis suggests that in order to objectively, reasonably, and effectively evaluate the performance of the work-life balance policies, there is a need for systematic performance management and improvement in the effectiveness of indicators. This study makes recommendations for how to get there.

Article III: "Monitoring of Policies on Older People's Economic and Social Activities: The 4th Basic Plan for Low Fertility and Aging Society," Kang Eun-Na, KIHASA

The Basic Plan for Low Fertility and Aging Society is created and updated every five in years in order to proactively address the aging population and declining birthrate and to adjust steadily to changes in social structure. As part of the aging society policy, measures have been taken to the support economic and social activities of the elderly, and in the 4th Basic Plan for Low Fertility and Aging Society, efforts have been taken to strengthen the measures to create an environment in which elderly workers can remain in the labor market for as long as possible. Additionally, policy initiatives have been proposed to support different social activities and ensure the quality of life in old age or retirement. This paper examines the current state of and policies on older people’s economic and social participation and suggests areas that needs to be improved upon in the Basic Plan.

Article IV: "Monitoring of Fertility Policies of Regional Local Government and Its Policy Implications," Chang Insu, KIHASA

This article presents the current status of fertility policies put into effect by local governments in Korea, and suggests the future direction for policy improvement. In reviewing the 4th Basic Plan for Low Fertility and Aging Society implemented in 2021, we examined the number and budget size of projects underway in different policy areas. In addition, this article outlines the limitations these projects have and presents what should be done to make improvements on them in terms of their substance and composition. This article emphasizes the need for the establishment of a project classification framework to promote effective management of policy implementation, establishment of performance evaluation system, reorganization of fertility policy governance system, and improvements related to the preparation of action plans.

Article V: "Monitoring of Metropolitan Local Government Policies on Aging Society," Kim Sejin & Lee Sunhee, KIHASA

The purpose of this article was to monitor the social policies of metropolitan local governments on the elderly, especially in terms of their consistency and appropriateness, and to present measures that could improve these policies. Our analysis found that most of local governments’ social policies on the elderly were limited to welfare assistance. The visions, goals, and implementation strategies of those local policies were mainly in the same direction as those of the central government policies, but some differences were observed. Local government's social policy projects for the elderly are focused on their income security, health, care, and leisure culture. The budget is mainly allocated to matching programs. Based on these findings, this article suggests that in order to improve the substance of these policies, it is necessary to clarify the scope of each and establish a system for managing their implementation.

Article VI: "Policy Measures for the Management of Health Statistics on Premature Live Births," Choi Eun Jin, KIHASA

This article examines the issue of managing statistics concerning premature birth, as the vulnerable health conditions of prematurely born infants require continued monitoring and care. In the process, the Maternal and Child Health Law was reviewed, which provides a basis of policy measures for premature infants. The current health policy does not provide enough measures to meet the needs of prematurely born infants and their parents. To ensure healthy growth and development of these infants, there should be sustainable and integrated management of health statistics and information.

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