한국지방행정연구원

On September 15, 2025, the Korea Research Institute for Local Administration (KRILA, President Yook Dong Il) and Statistics Korea (Commissioner Ahn Hyung Jun) co-hosted the International Forum on Regional Responses to Population Decline at the Korea Statistical Human Resources Development Institute in Daejeon. The forum, held under the theme “Smart Responses to Population Decline, Regionally Vibrant Economies,” brought together more than 100 participants from the OECD, academia, research institutes, and central and local governments.

The program began with opening remarks by President Yook Dong Il, followed by welcoming remarks from Commissioner Ahn Hyung Jun of Statistics Korea, and congratulatory remarks by Yun Ho Jung, Minister of the Interior and Safety of the Republic of Korea.

The keynote lecture was delivered by Claudia Baranzelli, Coordinator at the Laboratory for Geospatial Analysis, OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities. She addressed global demographic change trends, their impacts, and OECD best practices, highlighting how population decline affects regions and why data-driven policy responses are essential.

In Session 1, domestic experts shared insights on data-based approaches. Dr. Lee Won Do, Associate Research Fellow at KRILA’s Depopulation Area Response Center, presented on strengthening inter-regional partnerships based on connectivity with depopulating areas in Korea. Mr. Kim Keun-Sik, Director of the Big Data & Statistics Division at Statistics Korea, discussed the adoption and characteristics of “living population” statistics for revitalizing depopulated regions.

Session 2 featured international perspectives. Bernhard Nöbauer, Economist at the OECD, explained methodologies for analyzing demographic change and service accessibility, both in Korea and across OECD member countries. Mr. Lee Rang, Senior Policy Analyst at the OECD, then shared an international policy framework for addressing demographic change, drawing on global experiences and case studies.

The subsequent panel discussion, moderated by Professor Lah Taejoon of Yonsei University, engaged Korean and international experts. Panelists included Professor Sonn Jung Won (Bartlett School of Planning, University College London), Professor Jin Jongheon (Kongju National University), Director Hwang Myunghwa (Geospatial Analytics and Monitoring Center, Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements), and Professor Kim Sangmin (Chungnam National University). They debated customized regional strategies, linkages between OECD case studies and Korean policy, and directions for data-driven policy innovation.

In his closing remarks, President Yook Dong Il emphasized the significance of the forum, noting:

“This international forum provided a meaningful opportunity to share scientifically grounded, data-based solutions proposed by the OECD and leading experts at home and abroad to tackle the complex crisis of population decline.