KI H ASA and IPSS Holds the 5th Korea-Japan Social Policy Forum

• ■The annual Korea-Japan forum will take place on Thursday, September 5th at 1:30 PM at KIHASA’s Sejong Hall.

• ■Presentations and discussions on "Population Trends," "Assisted Reproductive Technology," and "Elderly Care" will be held, with simultaneous interpretation provided.

• ■Acting President Kang Hye-kyu of KIHASA said, "The social challenges of low birth rates and aging populations faced by both Korea and Japan are crucial issues that will shape our future. We hope this forum will serve as a significant turning point in the development of social policies in both countries."

KIHASA will hold the "5^th KIHASA-IPSS Annual Policy Forum " in collaboration with Japan's National Institute of Population and Social Security Research on Thursday, September 5th at 1:30 PM in the Sejong Hall of KIHASA.

Since its inception in 2017, the KIHASA-IPSS Annual Policy Forum was temporarily suspended from 2020 to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but resumed last year. This 5th forum, to be held in Korea, will feature presentations and discussions by researchers from both countries on three key topics: "Population Trends," "Assisted Reproductive Technology," and "Elderly Care," with simultaneous interpretation provided.

The forum will consist of eight presentations and thematic discussions, officially beginning with opening remarks and congratulatory speeches by Acting President Kang Hye-gyu of KIHASA and Director Reiko Hayashi of Japan's National Institute of Population and Social Security Research.

• ●In the first session on "Population Trends," presentations will include: "Regional Population Decline in Korea: Policy Responses and Future Directions " by Associate Research Fellow Jang In-su; "Future Population Change by Region and Its Demographic Factors " by Shiro Koike, Director of the Department of Population Structure Research, IPSS; and "A Comparative Study of Korean and Japanese Married Women’s Life Course through First Marriage, First Childbirth, and Employment, and Never-Married Women’s Attitudes on Their Future Life Course " by KIHASA Associate Research Fellow Cho Sung-ho and Keita Suga, Senior Researcher, Department of Population Structure Research, IPSS.
  
  

• ●The second session on "Assisted Reproductive Technology" will feature: "Current Status and Challenges of Assisted Reproductive Technology in South Korea" by KIHASA Research Fellow Lee Soo-hyung, and "Low Fertility in Asia and the Role of Assisted Reproductive Technology" by Reiko Hayashi, Director-General of IPSS.
  
  

• ●In the final session on "Elderly Care," presentations will include: "Current Status and Challenges of Housing Support for the Elderly in South Korea" by Research Fellow Lim Deok-Young; "Care Resources and Residential Mobility in Later Life " by Masataka Nakagawa, Senior Researcher, Department of International Research and Cooperation, IPSS; and "Changes in Household Structure and Elderly Care" by Takiko Fujii, Senior Researcher, Department of Population Structure Research, IPSS.
  
  

• ●Designated discussants for each session include: KIHASA Associate Research Fellow Shin Young-gyu and Yuu Koregawa, Director, Department of International Research and Cooperation, IPSS for session 1; Professor Kim Saerom of Inje University College of Medicine for session 2; and KIHASA Associate Research Fellow Kim Se-jin and Professor Seo Dong-min of Baekseok University Department of Social Welfare for session 3.

KIHASA Acting President Kang Hye-kyu remarked, "’The KIHASA-IPSS Policy Policy Forum' has been held annually since 2017, alternating between Korea and Japan, much like shuttle diplomacy. Now in its fifth year, the forum continues to address the significant social challenges of low birth rates and aging populations faced by both countries. These challenges are critical factors in shaping the future of our societies, and I hope this forum will be a pivotal moment in advancing social policies in Korea and Japan."