NAFI

September 30, The 1st Population Forum: Transitioning the Future Education System in Response to Demographic Change

The forum was devoted to in-depth presentations and discussions on “Transitioning the Future Education System in Response to Demographic Change.”

In the first presentation, Ahn Suzie, Associate Research Fellow at the National Assembly Futures Institute, noted that Korea’s total fertility rate has remained below 1.0 for eight consecutive years, and that the number of newborns in 2024 has dropped to about 37 percent of that in 2000. She also projected that the school-age population in elementary, middle, and high schools will decline by approximately 40 percent between 2025 and 2035.

Next, in the second presentation, Seong Moonjoo, Associate Research Fellow at the National Assembly Futures Institute, explained that the sharp decline in the school-age population, combined with a strong preference for universities in the Seoul Metropolitan Area, could lead many regional universities outside the capital to face a severe crisis of survival within the next 10 to 15 years if current trends continue.

In the third presentation, Lee Sunhwa, Senior Research Fellow at the National Assembly Futures Institute, presented on “Restructuring the Education Finance System for Fiscal Sustainability.” She pointed out that local finances operate within a fragmented budget system, shaped by the dual framework of general local government and local educational autonomy, which has resulted in divergent fiscal situations in responding to demographic change.

In the discussion that followed the presentations, National Assembly members Yeom Taeyoung (Democratic Party of Korea) and Baek Sunhee (Rebuilding Korea Party), along with academic experts, exchanged views on Korea’s demographic shifts and the transformation of its future education system.

In addition to the panelists, several National Assembly members—including Back Hyeryun and Jin Sunmee—as well as experts from various fields, attended the forum.

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