Jeon to tackle low birthrate

Minister for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs Jeon Jae-hee yesterday expressed her strong will to tackle the falling birthrate and the aging of society.

"When I think about the issue of low birthrates, I feel a flame burning on my back," said the minister in a press meeting arranged to mark her first year in the office.

Under her leadership, the ministry launched various programs to support newly-married couples and their childcare. But those efforts have not yet seen meaningful results because of the lack of social awareness and national budget, according to her.

"In preparation for the lower birthrate and aging population, a prompt decision needs to be made by authorities responsible for public finances," she said.



Born in 1949, Jeon was the nation`s first woman to pass the civil service examination in 1973. She also became the first female mayor elected by popular vote in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi Province, in 1995. President Lee Myung-bak appointed her as the health minister in August last year.

While the global financial crisis hit the economy late last year, she had to face a series of health and welfare issues such as the ongoing asbestos scare, melamine-containing Chinese snacks and the latest outbreak of the H1N1 influenza virus.

"The global financial crisis was unpredictable. At the time, the most desperate thing was to prevent more families being scattered due to the sluggish economy," she said.

"The ministry has introduced various support programs in cooperation with related government agencies. I predict the situation would be better around next year," she said.

After having experiencing some food safety scandals, she ordered researchers to research on the permissible level of all harmful ingredients in foods in comparison with other advanced countries and to fix the standard level.

As part of the nation`s efforts to raise the medical industry as a major growth engine, the ministry has also concentrated on medical tourism, attracting a growing number of patients and visitors from abroad.

She also gave a positive assessment on the nation`s preventive measures against the spread of the flu virus. "Now more a important issue is the vaccine production for the virus. Even though vaccinations need to be carried out as soon as possible, I think, our emphasis should be put more on the safety of the vaccine rather than a prompt inoculation program," she said.

Jeon, then a lawmaker of the Grand National Party, helped presidential candidate Lee Myung-bak during his campaign in 2002. "(At the time) I was impressed by his speech saying he would block poverty from being handed down from parents to their children. As President Lee currently tries to improve the livelihood of common people, the ministry is thinking about policies for underprivileged people to support his ideas," she said.

(jylee@heraldm.com

By Lee Ji-yoon