□ KoPHWA hosted the “1st Korea Population Festival,” co-organized with the National Assembly’s Low Fertility Forum, and sponsored by the Presidential Committee on Ageing Society and Population, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and 16 local governments across the country.

○ The government recently declared a ‘Demographic national emergency’ and announced measures to counteract the declining birth rate, focusing on three key areas: 1) work-life balance, 2) childcare improvement and 3) better housing.

○ According to Statistics Korea’s April population trends report (June 26), the number of births in April this year increased by 2.8% compared to the same month last year, marking a rebound after 19 months. Marriage rates also saw their largest increase for the month of April, raising hopes for a rebound in the total fertility rate.

□ The Korea Population Festival, aimed at a new leap in reversing the low birth rate trend, was held with the theme, ‘Demographic Change and Response to Low Birth Rates’, featuring three categories: ‘Photography, Video, and Policy Proposals’.

○ Submissions were evaluated based on thematic relevance, artistic quality and applicability by a panel of expert judges, resulting in 48 final selections (21 in photography, 21 in video, and 6 in policy proposals).

□ The award ceremony will take place on July 15th at the National Assembly Hall. The event will include a performance themed “A New Leap for Reversing Low Birth Rates”, a highlights video of award-winning works, and the announcement of winners. Policy proposal winners will present their proposed policies directly.

○ Winners from across the country, including from Gyeongnam, Daejeon, Jeonbuk, and Daegu, will participate in the ceremony. The grand prize winner will receive the Minister of Health and Welfare Award and a cash prize, while the excellent and merit awards will be presented by the President of the Korea Population Health and Welfare Association, along with cash prizes.

○ Prize winning works will be exhibited at Seoul City Hall(July 16-20), Citizens' Plaza B, with plans for regional touring exhibitions in the future.

□ Details of the award-winning entries are as follows:

○ (Photography) The Grand Prize goes to ‘Thirst of the Youngest’ by Kang Mi-Ja, capturing the endearing smile of older siblings watching the youngest child drink water during picnic.

- Excellent Awards include: ‘I’m a Child Intern at Dad’s Company’ by Lee Jae-Hong, and ‘Brothers’ by Yun Hyo-ang. The first portrays a child cheerfully hopping around the office with a child intern badge, while the second captures the precious moments of three brothers spending time together in a park.

- Other excellent works include: ‘First Family Photo’, ‘Happiness on a Rainy Day’ and ‘Thinking of Older Brother’

○ (Video) The Grand Prize goes to ‘Attention and Love Create a Family’ by Yoon Yi-jeong, a 3rd-year student from Anseong Girls' Middle School in Gyeonggi Province, presenting the idea that creating a family requires the efforts of parents, community, and nation, depicted in a fun and engaging way from a student’s perspective.

- Excellent Awards include:‘ Children Are Our Future’ by Park Se-won, and ‘People Within People, Life Within People’ by Choi Byeong-min. The first depicts the use of relevant policies to effectively manage the childcare issues of dual-income families, while the second conveys the message that population means people, and every individual’s life is supported by the existence of others.

- Other excellent works include: ‘Drawing Korea’s Future‘, ‘Future of Korea’ and ‘A Miracle Created by One Child, Heading Towards a Miracle Generation.’

○ (Policy Proposals) The Grand Prize goes to the ‘Double Siot’ team for their ‘Improvement Policy for Integrated Childcare Services,’ proposing effective measures to address the shortage of childcare services and meet the needs of service users.

- Excellent Awards include: ‘Introduction of Work-Life Balance Tax’ by Jang Hyo-jeong, and ‘All-in-One Application for Extended Day School – All-Day Spring’ by the Early Spring Team.

- The first proposal emphasizes the importance of work-life balance and suggests effective measures for societal participation and cultural spread, while the second offers detailed alternatives for efficient operation of after-school programs.

- Other excellent works include: ‘Generational Harmony Project’, ‘Korea Population Booster Policy’, and ‘Providing Opportunities for Youth Trust-Based Meetings.

□ Award-winning works can be viewed on KoPHWA’s YouTube channel.

□ Lee Sam-sik, president of KoPHWA said, “I hope the Korea Population Festival will provide an opportunity for the public to expand their awareness of demographic changes and low birth rates in their daily lives. We will continue to lead efforts to enhance public understanding and participation in policies aimed at reversing the low birth rate.”

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‘A New Leap for Reversing Low Birth Rates’ Join「the 1st Korea Population Festival」