Lee calls for restructuring social system to meet needs of changing population structure

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SEOUL, Oct. 14 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung on Wednesday called for restructuring South Korea's social system to reflect rapid changes in demographics, stressing the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) provides an opportunity to redesign the industrial, employment, education and other sectors.

The president made the call during a meeting of the presidential committee on population strategy, attended by government ministers and dozens of citizens and aimed at helping design the country's population policies.

South Korea has been grappling with a fast aging population, with people aged 65 and older already accounting for more than 21 percent of the total population, making the country a "super aged society," where over 20 percent of its population are aged 65 years or more.

Lee called for policies to facilitate "qualitative," as well as "quantitative," population growth, saying the country needs "a major turnaround" in its population policies.

"This means, South Korea's entire social and economic systems should be redesigned from scratch in accordance with population changes," the president said, citing labor, welfare, employment, housing and childcare as sectors that require policy improvements in line with population changes.

The president pointed out that AI-induced innovation, in particular, marks an opportunity to restructure the social system, including employment, education, and elderly care and childcare.

Besides population aging and low birth rates, the president cited growth in the immigrant population and the emergence of "various forms of family structures" as new demographic trends, stressing that the key priority would be to "make a country in which all people can enjoy happy lives throughout their life cycles."

"The clue to resolving population issues would be found only when (people) have hope that they and their families can grow together and be happy together, no matter where they live or with whom they live," the president noted.

President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a meeting of the presidential committee on population strategy at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Oct. 14, 2026. (Yonhap)

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Lee calls for restructuring social system to meet needs of changing population structure

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首尔，10月14日（韩联社）——韩国总统李在明周三呼吁重组韩国社会制度，以反映人口结构的快速变化，并强调人工智能的出现为重新设计工业、就业、教育和其他领域提供了机会。

总统是在总统人口战略委员会会议上发出这一呼吁的，政府部长和数十名公民出席了会议，会议旨在帮助制定国家的人口政策。

韩国一直面临着人口快速老龄化的问题，65 岁及以上的人口已经占总人口的 21% 以上，使该国成为一个“超老龄化社会”，超过 20% 的人口年龄在 65 岁或以上。

李呼吁制定政策，促进人口“质”和“量”的增长，并表示该国的人口政策需要“重大转变”。

“这意味着，韩国的整个社会和经济体系都应该根据人口变化进行彻底的重新设计，”总统说，并指出劳动、福利、就业、住房和儿童保育等领域需要根据人口变化进行政策改进。

总统指出，人工智能引发的创新尤其为重组社会体系提供了契机，包括就业、教育、老年人护理和儿童保育等领域。

除了人口老龄化和低出生率之外，总统还指出移民人口增长和“各种形式的家庭结构”的出现是新的人口趋势，并强调首要任务是“建设一个让所有人都能在其一生中享受幸福生活的国家”。

总统指出：“只有当人们相信无论他们住在哪里，与谁一起生活，他们和他们的家人都能共同成长、共同幸福时，才能找到解决人口问题的答案。”

2026年10月14日，李在明总统在首尔青瓦台出席总统人口战略委员会会议并发表讲话。（韩联社）

数据显示，到2026年，韩国65岁及以上人口中将有五分之一。

政府与经合组织将讨论预算政策和可持续增长问题

新增3个市镇被列入“人口减少”地区名单，总数达92个。

李呼吁重组社会制度以满足不断变化的人口结构的需求。