<Anchor> It
is a friendly economy time.
Today (29th), I will be with reporter Kwon Ae-ri.
The government came up with some measures to prepare for a super-aged society, but it was noticeable that there were a variety of contents, such as a policy to utilize foreigners.
<Reporter>
Yes.
That's right.
In a word, it is a direction to think realistically.
The problem is too serious to wait for Koreans to be born enough to sustain the current population.
Therefore, it is necessary to accept foreign immigrants so that they can work more quickly in more fields, and to create an environment in which women and the elderly, who are likely to have their careers interrupted during childbirth and childcare, can work as much as possible.
The policy direction that started from this awareness was announced yesterday.
Currently, Korea is experiencing a decrease in children at a level unprecedented in world history, except during times of war, great drought, or deadly epidemics similar to the Black Death.
The population has already started to decline from last year.
In three years, it is predicted that it will not just be an aged society, but a super-aged society, a society in which more than one in five people are elderly.
If this continues, in 50 years more than half of the total population will be over 62 years of age.
Policies that encourage more children to be born and grow up well are actually not enough, it can be said that it is too late, no matter how radical they are.
Of course, we should continue to work hard to come up with something more innovative in terms of childbirth and parenting measures.
In reality, whether we like it or not, the perception that the economic activities of foreign immigrants must eventually be increased is underlying this announcement.
<Anchor>
Then, let's look at foreigners first.
Regarding foreign employment, then what things will change right away?
<Reporter>
First of all, from next month, starting in January, Chinese compatriots will be able to do this loading and unloading of goods at the delivery agency.
We do not yet accept the work of the courier drivers we commonly know who sort the courier and bring it to our door.
In particular, it is put into loading and unloading work at a courier agency, which is said to be labor intensive and labor intensive.
Also, it will be possible for Korean-Chinese to find employment as caregivers in nursing hospitals.
Until now, I could only work as a privately hired caregiver.
Koreans in China, and Koreans in six specific countries, including Ukraine and Uzbekistan, have fields where they can get a job right away, unlike ordinary foreigners, even if they enter the country on a visit.
We're expanding these areas.
Jobs will start to expand in places like restaurants and accommodations, mainly for manual labor jobs where there is a shortage of workers.
In addition, most of the alternative foreign worker policies are in fact still in the review stage.
However, the direction was clearly presented this time.
We want to make it easier for small and medium-sized businesses to hire foreign workers faster, more, and easier than they do now.
We plan to increase the number of jobs not only for simple workers, but also for people with clear skills, professional workers and foreigners.
In the future, he said he plans to set up an organization to review the appropriate level of immigration that Korea can receive and study how to make Korea, where people are scarce, run as it has so far.
<Anchor>
That's right.
Now, next time, let's look at women and old people.
The direction is that women and the elderly should be able to work a little longer.
What options are being discussed and are you looking for?
<Reporter>
In particular, the key to recognizing the problem right now is that women should minimize the part that prevents them from returning to work after taking a career break due to childbirth and childcare.
Once my career is interrupted, it will be difficult for me to do the same level of work or earn as much money as before.
Therefore, we are paying attention to the need for measures to prevent the legs from being cut in the first place when they can return to their seats after taking parental leave.
In fact, this polarization is already serious.
In large corporations with more than 300 employees, it is still much better than before for mothers to return after taking parental leave.
That's why the parental leave use rate is close to 77%.
On the other hand, among SMEs, only 26% of workplaces with 4 or fewer employees use parental leave.
I have to quit to have a baby, so I can't take a leave of absence.
However, we cannot just ask small businesses to wait for the baby's mother who left the place blindly.
The smaller the company, the less likely it is.
In the end, the government should step up and provide incentives so that small business owners can retain female employment.
The direction is in the right direction, but most of them are still reviewing to do more within the next year.
In order not to fizzle out after only announcing the direction, we need to start policies right away that fully reflect the sense of crisis in detail that no woman who wants to work in a country where the number of people is declining will be denied just because she gave birth to a child.