Start Briefing [Competition for Local Government Childbirth Support Fund 'Humbleness'] Civil servants are also "limited in their effectiveness"]

On Monday, January 13th, the start briefing will begin.

First, the Hankyoreh newspaper.

It dealt with the fact that the childbirth support fund being implemented by local governments is only competing for "nonsense". It's not very effective in increasing the fertility rate, and public officials are also feeling that the effectiveness of the business is limited. The scale of the maternity subsidy project has grown rapidly since the 2010s. As of 2023, 43.6% of the total budget for the childbirth support policy is accounted for. 83.1% of the total, 202 local governments provide childbirth support funds. The problem is that it costs a huge budget of 500 billion won, but it has little effect on raising the fertility rate. Research has shown that even if there is a positive effect, it is only a short-term effect. And more than anyone else, local officials feel the limitations of the maternity subsidy project. When asked if the birth support fund increased the number of births in the region, 36% said it was ineffective. It is also pointed out that "it is for the purpose of building the achievement of the head of the organization," and "it is only for local governments to take away the population." I recognized that there was a problem with the direction of the maternity subsidy policy, but how should it be improved? First of all, creating a good environment for raising children is the first thing. In addition, there are voices that cash support related to childbirth needs to be integrated by the government and managed as a universal welfare project.

Next is the Dong-A Ilbo.

It's been really cold for a few days. At night, cold waves continue to drop below minus 10 degrees Celsius, so cold wave shelters are urgently needed, but 90% of cold wave shelters in Seoul are said to be closed after the sun has fallen. Let's go to the senior citizen center with the "Hanpa Rest Area" sign. The time is 4 p.m. yesterday, and the shutter is down. I'm sure it says it's open until 5 p.m. on the weekend, but the door is firmly closed and there's no sign of it. Not only here, but nine out of 10 cold wave shelters in Seoul are closed at night. Public facilities such as senior citizen centers and community centers are usually designated as cold wave shelters. There are only five places in Seoul that are open 24 hours a day. There are many places that don't operate at all on weekends or close earlier than the announced time.Vulnerable groups, such as
homeless people and the elderly, usually use cold wave shelters, but it is difficult to find a place that opens in the evening when the weather gets cold. The Seoul Metropolitan Government explains that there are cost and manpower problems. It's not easy to force each borough to extend its operations. Experts advised that there is also a way to utilize public-interest jobs.The newspaper also reports that it is necessary to cooperate with local communities and private welfare facilities so that cold wave shelters can be opened longer in winter.

Next, Kyunghyang Shinmun.

It is an article that the employment competition among the elderly is getting fiercer and the working environment is becoming more unstable. The pension is less than half of the minimum cost of living, so I can't let go of my resume, but it is said that I can barely get a job for the elderly by 'open running'. Last year, 3,122,000 people aged 65 or older were employed.It's one-third of the total elderly population, and it's the highest ever. The minimum cost of living after retirement is 1.24 million won per month, and the average pension that pensioners receive per month is only 650,000 won. It's hard to make a living with pensions alone, so I keep looking for jobs. The government increased the number of jobs for the elderly to 1.03 million to ensure the income of the elderly. However, there are 2.24 million job seekers for the elderly. That means one out of two will be eliminated. The public job allowance, which accounts for 70% of jobs for the elderly, is 290,000 won per month. However, market-type jobs do not mean that you receive an appropriate income. The workload and intensity are also too much. They are only paid enough not to be caught by the law and are also excluded from the four major insurances. Korean elderly people who work more than any other country, but are poorer than any other country.The poverty rate for the elderly in Korea is 40%, the highest in the world. Some say that income preservation should be solved by pensions, and elderly jobs should have a variety of options depending on wages and labor volume.

This is the last Hankook Ilbo.

You've heard a lot in recent years about the news that food prices are on alert due to the abnormal climate. However, research has shown that the pace will be sharper and the national representative crop will disappear. It is said that in 65 years, summer cabbage and red apples will not be able to be grown in Korea. The left side shows the summer cabbage and the right side shows the climatological plantation of apples. Both are almost gone by 2070, and by 2090 there is no place to grow. Not only cabbages and apples, but also summer radishes and pears. If the annual average temperature rises by 1 degree, the area where crops can be grown will move 81 kilometers north. The hottest year in history is breaking every year, which means that crop productivity will continue to be uncertain. Although it has been cultivated with blood and sweat, there are also a number of vegetables that cannot be sold due to abnormal high temperatures and are returned. The words "gold cabbage" and "gold apple" appear steadily, and in 2022, lettuce was called "golden autumn." Over the past five years, media reports dealing with the food crisis caused by abnormal climate have also increased rapidly. In 2020 alone, the number of cases was 104, but last year, the number increased by more than 672 and more than six times. There are also many farmers who give up eco-friendly farming. As the weather gets hotter, the bugs get twisted, and you can't farm without spraying pesticides. Because of climate change in unpredictable forms, the food economy is reeling, and the hearts of farmers are burning.

I looked at the newspaper on the morning of January 13th.

This has been the start briefing.