Busan is good

The 15th Population Day Commemorative Event to Be Held by Busan Metropolitan City

내용

Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Chun Jae-soo) announced that it will hold the 15th Population Day Commemorative Event today (July 10) at 2:00 p.m. in the Grand Conference Hall on the first floor of Busan City Hall.

The event has been organized to commemorate the 15th Population Day by fostering public consensus on responding to population challenges and enhancing understanding among citizens and experts regarding future demographic changes through a special expert lecture, thereby expanding public awareness and social interest in population issues.

The commemorative ceremony will consist of an awards presentation for distinguished contributors and citizen participation contest winners, commemorative remarks, and a special lecture by an expert.

Approximately 100 participants, including officials from Busan Metropolitan City, district and county governments, government-funded institutions, and citizens, are expected to attend.

Awards recognizing distinguished contributions to population policy will be presented to Jeong Ji-young, Assistant Administrative Officer of Jung-gu Office, and Cho Hye-kyung, Team Leader of the Busan Branch of the Planned Population Federation of Korea.

For the citizen participation contest, one Grand Prize, two Excellence Awards, and five Merit Awards were selected through document screening and presentation evaluations across three categories: inclusive life-cycle growth support, creation of attractive residential and living environments, and strengthening the foundation for ultra-wide-area innovative growth.

The Grand Prize-winning proposal, “Vacation Childcare Matching Platform – Neighborhood Childcare Bridge,” received high praise for proposing an address-based childcare matching platform that connects and utilizes available childcare resources at nearby daycare centers to address childcare gaps during daycare center vacation periods.

The Excellence Awards were presented to “Establishing the Busan Global Talent Settlement Pass” and “JOB-ON-NA: An Integrated Career and Asset Platform Supporting Career Choices for Young People in the Busan–Ulsan–Gyeongnam Region.”

The Merit Awards were presented to five teams proposing policy ideas in diverse areas, including a youth-led companion dog care system, the creation of public wedding photography destinations in Busan, and housing support to promote youth independence.

The competition was conducted in collaboration with the Population Strategy Research Center of the Busan Institute, where a panel of experts closely reviewed the policy effectiveness and relevance of each proposal to population policy, thereby enhancing the potential for outstanding proposals to be reflected in and utilized for future policymaking.

A highlight of the event will be a special lecture by Cho Young-tae, Director of the Seoul National University Population Policy Research Center and one of Korea’s leading demographers, who has authored books including The Future Is Already Written (2016), Population, Future, and Coexistence (2021), and Population and Wealth (2025).

Under the theme “Population and Wealth: Expanding the Way We Understand Life Through Demographics,” Director Cho will examine the impact of demographic structural changes—including low birth rates, population aging, and population decline—on local communities, while offering in-depth insights into policy directions and innovation strategies that Busan Metropolitan City should pursue to secure future growth engines.

Meanwhile, the Planned Population Federation of Korea will also hold an exhibition of winning entries from the Population Festival contest at the event venue, allowing citizens to engage more naturally with population-related issues.

Under the slogan “Building Lives Together in Busan,” attendees will also receive a life-cycle population policy guidebook and informational leaflet that provide an overview of the city's population policies supporting citizens throughout every stage of life, from marriage, pregnancy, and childbirth to old age.

Kim Kyung-tae, Assistant Mayor for Planning and Coordination, said, “This Population Day commemorative event will present population issues in an accessible and engaging way, helping to increase public interest in population policy and broaden public awareness. We will continue to implement effective policies to build Busan into a healthy and happy city for all citizens.”