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Choi Tae-won, chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, proposed solutions to low birth rates through the connection of labor markets between Korea and Japan at the '1st Korea-Japan Symposium on Low Birth Rate Countermeasures' held in Sendai, Japan on the 30th. He stated that young people should be able to work across both countries and have their experiences and qualifications recognized in the other country.
Choi emphasized the importance of expanding the market size in the context of population decline and called for strengthening economic ties between Korea and Japan. He diagnosed that young people are postponing marriage and childbirth due to the inability to secure stable jobs, adding that companies have a responsibility to create good job opportunities and an environment where work and parenting can be balanced.
He also claimed that over 13 million people traveled between the two countries last year and argued for expanding exchanges from tourism to employment and education. Choi presented solutions to labor shortages through increased regional exchanges and the use of artificial intelligence. According to a survey presented that day, 42.4% of unmarried youth in Japan responded that they have no intention of marrying for life, while the figure was 18.6% in Korea. Conversely, concerns about employment and income were higher in Korea at 43.1% compared to Japan.