The government announced plans to establish a deputy prime minister-level ministry for population strategy and planning to oversee the nation's population policies on the low birth rate, aging society, workforce and immigration as a state control tower.

Under the plan announced on Monday following a high-level meeting between the government and the ruling People Power Party(PPP), the new ministry will take over the health ministry's population policy and the finance ministry's mid- to long-term population development strategies.

The ministry is expected to strategize and plan policies on the low birth rate, aging society, workforce and immigration, while analyzing and assessing related ministries and local governments' population crisis response policies. The ministry will be granted the authority to allocate and adjust the state budget related to the low birth rate.

The position of deputy prime minister for social affairs, currently held by the education minister, will be transferred to the population strategy and planning minister, which will be included in revisions to the Government Organization Act set to be tabled this month.

The Framework Act on Low Birth Rate in an Aging Society will also be revised to transfer the Presidential Committee on Aging Society and Population Policy under the new ministry as an advisory committee.