This photo provided by Koh Jin-taek, a farmer in Ansong, Gyeonggi Province, shows the destruction of farm produce in July after the tradable vegetables could not be harvested due to a labor shortage.
SEOUL, June 20 (Korea Bizwire) — As South Korea’s young population continues to shrink, policies aimed at raising the age limit of the youth population are spreading across the country.
The municipality of Jeongeup in North Jeolla Province said Monday it has increased the age limit for young residents to 45 years old.
This change is intended to allow more people to benefit from the city’s policies for young adults. The city has revised the basic ordinance on young adults, expanding the age range from 18-39 years to 18-45 years.
“The change reflects the reality of an urban-rural city with a rapidly aging society and a declining population. We are taking proactive measures to address the decreasing number of young adults by raising the age limit,” the city government said.
With the implementation of this new policy, the number of young adults residing in Jeongeup has risen from 19,200 (18 percent of the city’s population) to 26,500 (25 percent of the city’s population) as of last month.
In Seoul, Dobong District became the first district to adjust the age range of young adults from 19-39 years to 19-45 years.
Additionally, the district is in the process of creating a new ordinance to establish a fund specifically for young adults.
This is necessary due to the larger financial support required as a result of the increased population of young adults resulting from the policy change.
This fund will be utilized to provide loans to young adults for housing and startup ventures. It is also the first fund of its kind among districts in Seoul.
This file photo, taken July 3, 2021, shows people crossing a street near Hongik University in Seoul. (Yonhap)
The diminishing population of young adults is also a significant issue in rural regions, and in the worst-case scenario, it could lead to the collapse of agricultural activities.
In response, the government is reportedly considering the idea of raising the age limit for young farmers, who are eligible for various benefits, to over 39 years.
Currently, South Koreans between the ages of 19 and 34 are legally considered young adults.
However, in the agricultural sector, anyone up to the age of 39 can be classified as a young farmer.
Young farmers are entitled to a range of government benefits, including initiatives for agricultural settlement and childcare support for young adults starting smart farm businesses.
Nevertheless, these criteria still fail to correspond with the realities of rural towns, where individuals in their 40s and 50s are considered “young.”
According to data from Statistics Korea, the average age of agricultural business owners was 68 years as of last year, highlighting the significant aging of this sector compared to others.
For instance, in the manufacturing industry, the average worker age was 42.5 years in 2020.
“In the agricultural sector, the highest labor productivity is observed among individuals in their 40s and 50s,” said Eom Jin-yeong, a researcher at the Korea Rural Economic Institute.
“Consequently, benefits should be focused on this age group with the highest productivity.”
A farmer picks super sweet corn, a variety of maize with a high sugar content, at a field in the city of Jeju on South Korea’s largest island of the same name on June 3, 2020. (Yonhap)
In contrast, a substantial number of individuals in their 20s are refraining from seeking employment, which is becoming a social issue.
The data reveals that more people in their 60s are actively searching for jobs, while many individuals in their 20s are postponing job-seeking activities.
According to Statistics Korea, the percentage of people in their 60s who desire to work has risen from 66.3 percent in May 2018 to 71.8 percent in May of last year.
Considering South Korea’s population structure and the inflexibility of its aging society, this trend is expected to accelerate in the future.
H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)
