Republic of Korea National policy dialogue on population ageing

Responding to Demographic Change: National Policy Dialogue in the Republic of Korea

On 25 September 2025, the International Labour Organization (ILO), in partnership with the Korea Labor Institute (KLI), hosted a National Policy Dialogue in the Republic of Korea to explore the critical challenges of a declining working-age population.

The National Policy Dialogue from the Managing a decent future of work together in Asia-Pacific ("Future of Work: APAC") project funded by the EU, brought together more than 60 experts from government, employer and worker organizations as well as academia and civil society to discuss sustainable strategies for an ageing society.

The discussions highlighted a number of key areas meriting additional policy attention:

• The need for individualized, case-managed services to help youth transition successfully into the labour market.
• The implementation of reskilling initiatives and career planning, as early as age 40, are needed to support older workers extending their careers.
• Expanding the legal definition of "family" and introducing flexible, paid leave options will better support diverse household structures while encouraging greater labour market participation.

The National Policy Dialogue highlighted the importance of inclusive and flexible policies to address demographic shifts and ensure sustainable labour market participation. The discussions also uncovered areas for future research as well as topics that could serve as a basis for future policy dialogues.