Korean family groups demand overhaul of national population plan

A coalition of 180 civic organizations is urging the government to rewrite its first national population strategy, saying the plan risks sidelining families even as Korea confronts persistently low birthrates and mounting demographic challenges. The Federation for Korean Families made six demands at a news conference, Friday, at the National Assembly, calling for clearer fertility targets, stronger family support and a dedicated body to coordinate policies on marriage, childbirth, child-rearing and caregiving. The group said the government's first National Population Strategy Basic Plan fails to include a target for raising the total fertility rate, despite a previously announced goal of reaching 1.0 child per woman by 2030. The federation said indicators such as life satisfaction and labor force participation cannot, by themselves, show whether people who want to marry and have children are facing fewer obstacles. It called on the government to pair demographic targets with measures addressing housing costs, child-rearing expenses, work-life balance and access to caregiving time, arguin