New Policies for 2025: Strengthened birth support measures and use of AI education materials

새해부터 결혼•출산 세제 혜택 강화… AI 교과서는 교육자료로

Welcome to Within The Frame, where we bring you today's most pressing issues across the globe into focus, I'm Kim Mok-yeon.
With the arrival of the new year 2025, many laws and regulations are being updated.
Today we will take a closer look at the changes in systems that are closely related to daily life.
One of which is a series of measures to support and raise the country's chronic low birthrate.
In today’s discussion, we’ll explore the key factors contributing to South Korea’s declining birth rate and the impact of the new policies.
We’ll also discuss how advancements in AI technology, like the push for digital textbooks, are reshaping the educational landscape, as well as how social media platforms are adapting to protect young users.

For more on this, we invite Woo Hye-young, Professor of Sociology and Director of the Institute for Asian Studies at Portland State University.

Also joining us is Kim Jo-eun, Assistant Professor at KDI School of Public Policy and Management.


(WOO) 1. Let's start with Professor Woo, so most of us are aware that South Korea’s low birth rate has long been a pressing issue. what are the main factors contributing to this societal problem, and how do experts view its long-term implications for society?

(KIM) 2. So to tackle this problem, the government will raise its financial support by raising the amount of the so-called First Encounter Voucher, which provides 1,356 U.S. dollars for the first child and more for every subsequent child.
Additionally, parents will receive a child allowance of 68 dollars per child for up to 11 months and a monthly child support payment of 68 dollars per child until the child turns 95 months old.
Professor Kim, how will these new policies impact South Korean families? Are they enough to encourage a higher birth rate?

(KIM) 3. Another big concern among couples is the choice between work and child-rearing.
Employees often hesitate to apply for parental leave because they are concerned about the employer’s reaction. To address this, a new colleague support fund of 136 dollars has been introduced to give incentives to employees who take on additional duties during a colleague’s parental leave. Professor Kim, Do you think this could help resolve the problem? What other measures would you suggest?

(WOO) 4.Given South Korea’s unique cultural context, Professor Woo, what are some societal shifts that need to happen to support these policy changes?

(KIM) 5. Professor Kim, what have other countries facing similar demographic challenges done that South Korea could learn from, particularly in Europe or Asia?

(WOO) 6. Now another new attempt, South Korea’s ambitious plan to pioneer the nationwide adoption of artificial intelligence-based digital textbooks has hit a roadblock, as the National Assembly passed an amended bill making the books supplementary. Professor Woo, How do you think this change will affect the consistency and uniformity of educational standards across different schools, and what impact might this have on policy effectiveness?

(KIM) 7. In many parts of the world, the digital divide is a pressing issue, particularly for families with limited access to technology. Professor Kim, How could South Korea address potential social disparities in the adoption of AI-based learning tools?

(WOO) 8. From a sociological perspective Professor Woo, how might the introduction of AI-based learning reshape the traditional roles of teachers and students in South Korea’s classrooms? What are the potential social implications of such a profound change in educational dynamics?

(KIM) 9. Meanwhile, as for teenagers, Instagram has introduced a "teen accounts" function for South Korea, which turns many privacy settings on by default for users under 18. "Teen accounts" will limit unwanted contact and sensitive content, such as violent and sexually explicit materials for their users. Professor Kim What's the background behind the change?

(WOO) 10. Teen accounts are designed to make young users' content more private and controlled. Such accounts have already been used in the U.S. since last September, how effective was this Professor Woo, and what challenges have been evident?


We'll have to leave our discussion right here, many thanks to Professor Woo and Professor Kim, we appreciate it.

#SouthKorea #Marriage #Birth_rate #Birth #Baby #Support #AI #Education #대한민국 #새해 #결혼 #출산 #혜택 #교육자료 #Arirang_News #아리랑뉴스

📣 Facebook :   / arirangtvnews  
📣 Twitter :   / arirangtvnews  
📣 Homepage : https://v2.arirang.com/

2025-01-03, 20:30 (KST)