Join us for a virtual program that explores new thinking on Korea’s aging, shrinking society with Dr. Youngtae Cho, Director of the Population Policy Research Center and professor of health demography at the School of Public Health at Seoul National University (SNU).
Although South Korea’s total fertility rate rebounded slightly to reach 0.8 babies per woman, it remains the lowest in the world and well below the replacement rate of 2.1 needed to maintain the population level. Consequently, Korea’s population structure is experiencing a whipsaw demographic shift; by 2050, the working age population is projected to halve, with over 40 percent of the population over 65 years old. This transition will usher in profound social and economic challenges that will require ingenuity and accommodation to address.
Professor Cho is one of South Korea's most prominent demographers. His research interests include Korea’s low fertility, its fundamental causes and policy reactions, Vietnam’s new population policy, business demography, and population profiling. He is best known for his "Population as a Determined Future" thesis, which argues that while demographic shifts are predictable and inevitable, society can mitigate their impact through strategic adaptation. This includes right-sizing social institutions, decentralizing the population away from Seoul, embracing technological solutions to ease labor shortages, and studying the “Vietnam model” for insights regarding the balance between economic development and population movements. The discussion is moderated by policy director Jonathan Corrado.
This program is made possible by the generous support of the Korea Foundation and our individual and corporate members.
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New Thinking on Korea's Aging, Shrinking Society with Professor Youngtae Cho
Wednesday, June 10, 2026 | 7 PM (EDT)
Thursday, June 11, 2026 | 8:00 AM (KST)
About the Speaker:
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Dr. Youngtae Cho is professor of health demography at the School of Public Health at Seoul National University (SNU). Before joining SNU, he was assistant professor at Utah State University, USA. He achieved his Ph.D. in demography from the University of Texas - Austin, USA. His research interests include social determinants of health and health inequality, health of migrant population, and policy reactions to very low fertility in Korea. Youngtae has served as a member of various advisory committees of the central and local governments in Korea regarding the issues of low fertility and health inequality. He served as a commentator for a social determinants of health project of WHO Western Pacific Regional Office in 2011. Recently, he has expanded his interest in the information and communication technology and its influence on the population processes. Currently, he serves as a director of the Center for Smart Technology and Public Health at Seoul National University. |