We are delighted to share the exciting happenings at the 10th University Population Debating Championship, an event organized by the Korea Population Health and Welfare Association (KoPHWA). This competition aimed to amplify social awareness of population issues and uncover innovative policy ideas from the vibrant minds of young individuals.
The main event and award ceremony took place on June 30th in the prestigious Conference Room of the National Assembly Office Building. KoPHWA initiated a call for policy proposals addressing demographic changes and, after rigorous preliminary evaluations, handpicked ten exceptional teams. These teams underwent intensive 1:1 mentorship sessions with experts to prepare for the main event and the thrilling policy proposal competition.
This remarkable event was co-hosted by the National Assembly Forum on Low Birthrate and Response for Demographic Crisis, under the leadership of Congresswomen Choi Yeon-sook and Nam In-soon, and sponsored by the Presidential Committee. The presentation topics spanned a wide spectrum, covering essential areas such as Work-Life Balance, Marriage and Birth Support, Aging Society, Immigration, Education, Balanced Regional Development, and more.
The university students delivered their presentations with boundless passion and unwavering enthusiasm, leaving the audience in awe of their dedication and fervor. Intriguing and pragmatic policy ideas emerged during the competition, including proposals to expand residential and child-care support benefits for mothers planning a second child within 30 months after their first childbirth, introducing a ‘Pregnant Women All-Care Service System’ to optimize existing policies, offering clear incentives through a family-friendly certification system, and methods to reduce the burden of private education expenses by promoting online public education, among others.
Following a meticulous evaluation and voting process by the panel of judges, the ten teams were ranked, with prizes awarded as follows: Grand Prize (1st, 6 million won scholarship), Excellence Prize (2nd, 4 million won), Outstanding Prize (3rd, 3 million won), Encouragement Prize (4th, 2 million won), and Honorable Mentions (5th to 10th, each receiving 500 thousand won).
The prestigious Grand Prize was claimed by the ‘Popcorn’ team, who presented on the topic of work-life balance, earning the highest accolades from the judges for their innovative idea, ‘OLEAVE’ (Open site for family LEAVE). ‘OLEAVE’ is a platform dedicated to disclosing parental leave usage rates and employment retention rates of returners. The team emphasized that such transparency not only fosters a culture of work-life balance but also provides invaluable employment information for job seekers.
Young-Mi Kim, Vice Chairperson of the Presidential Committee on Aging Society and Population Policy, expressed the urgency of strong support from the National Assembly concerning population issues. She pledged, “Among the policies proposed today, I will work closely with the Ministry to ensure their adoption.”
In-soon Nam, head representative of the National Assembly Forum on Low Fertility and Response for Demographic Crisis, underscored the importance of adopting a long-term perspective and consistently formulating policies to address population challenges. She affirmed, “The voices of the younger generation can lay the foundation for effective population policies.”
As KoPHWA triumphantly executed this novel presentation competition, it provided young people with meaningful opportunities to reflect on population issues and offer policy insights for government officials’ careful consideration.
We look forward to witnessing the enduring impact of these bright, young minds as they continue to contribute to addressing population challenges and shaping the future of our society.