The 40^th Population Forum: Decentralization and the Basic Society

On Thursday, November 20, KIHASA, in collaboration with the Basic Society Research Association (Co-chairs Eun Min-su and Jung Won-oh), held the “40th Population Forum: Decentralization and the Basic Society.” Sponsored by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the event took place at the Ulsan Exhibition & Convention Center. It began with a keynote speech on the theme “Korea’s Grand Transformation and the Basic Society” by Lee Han-joo, Chairperson of the National Research Council for Economics, Humanities, and Social Sciences. This was followed by keynote presentations on Universal Basic Services by Ian Gough, Professor at the University of Bath, and Anna Coote, Researcher at the New Economics Foundation. In the afternoon, the program continued with nine thematic sessions, each featuring two presentations and a wrap-up discussion.

This Forum aimed to provide a platform for discussing the philosophical principles and policy directions of the basic society and basic services, in response to deepening social crises, such as demographic changes caused by low fertility and population aging, as well as regional depopulation. The event also sought to explore a comprehensive strategy for realizing the government’s vision of the Basic Society.