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Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung have agreed to establish a joint task force to address shared challenges, including declining birth rates. This move comes as more than half of the world’s countries now have total fertility rates below the replacement level of 2.1 births per woman needed to sustain a population.
**Why It Matters**
Longer lifespans, rising living costs, and changing social attitudes among younger generations are contributing to the decline in birth rates. South Korea (0.75) and Japan (1.15) have among the lowest fertility rates, classifying both as “super-aged societies,” with over 20 percent of their populations aged 65 and older. Both countries fear that declining birth rates could strain social safety nets and negatively impact economic growth.
**What To Know**
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During a press briefing following talks in Tokyo on Saturday, Lee introduced the “consultive body.” He emphasized cooperation on common challenges, including aging, natural disaster preparedness, agriculture, rural revitalization, and technologies like AI and hydrogen energy. The leaders also pledged to expand working holiday visa programs for young Japanese and South Koreans (ages 18-25) to strengthen people-to-people ties.
**What People Are Saying**
Ishiba stated: “There are many common issues between our countries, including regional revitalization, low birth rates, aging populations, population decline, agriculture, and securing resilience against disasters.”
Lee said: “Korea and Japan are neighbors sharing the same space and important partners in responding to common challenges amid a global complex crisis.”
**What Happens Next**
The leaders agreed to establish a consultative body to share wisdom and collaborate on finding solutions. Ishiba noted that this new working-level mechanism would facilitate joint responses to shared challenges.
Lee’s visit to Tokyo marked the first time a South Korean leader chose Japan over Washington (Seoul’s defense treaty ally) for their inaugural overseas trip, highlighting improved relations between the two nations since 2023. Since then, both countries have increased trilateral security cooperation with the U.S., aimed at countering North Korea’s growing nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.
