Kim Jin-o, vice chairman of the Presidential Committee on Aging Society and Population Policy, delivers an opening address at the 2026 APEC Population Policy Forum held at the Dalian International Convention Center in China on Monday. [Presidential Committee on Aging Society and Population Policy]
Kim Jin-o, vice chairman of the Presidential Committee on Aging Society and Population Policy, delivers an opening address at the 2026 APEC Population Policy Forum held at the Dalian International Convention Center in China on Monday. [Presidential Committee on Aging Society and Population Policy]

Kim Jin-o, vice chairman of the Presidential Committee on Aging Society and Population Policy, said Monday that demographic shifts should be treated not as a crisis but as an opportunity to boost productivity and create new markets through technological innovation.

Kim made the remarks in an opening address at the 2026 APEC Population Policy Forum held at the Dalian International Convention Center in China, where he emphasized the role of technology in responding to demographic change.

He said the Asia-Pacific region faces common structural challenges — including labor shortages, fiscal pressures and slowing growth — stemming from low birth rates and aging populations. He proposed that member economies pursue new development plans through emerging technologies such as AI.

"Demographic change is a shared challenge that no single member economy can address alone," Kim said, calling for a combination of APEC policy cooperation and private-sector innovation to turn population change into an opportunity for new growth and development.

He outlined three specific areas of cooperation: strengthening information sharing and collaboration on population-related policies — including health, employment, human resources and care — among APEC member economies; expanding evidence-based joint research and policy exchanges to advance pilot projects in age technology such as AI care robots; and deepening innovation partnerships between businesses and academia to develop practical solutions in digital healthcare, care robots and smart homes, open to partners beyond APEC member economies.

Meanwhile, ahead of the forum, Kim met with APEC Secretary-General Eduardo Pedrosa, exchanging Korea's policy experience and underscoring that demographic change is a long-term structural challenge no single economy can resolve alone.

"Starting with today's population policy forum and this meeting, APEC-level cooperation mechanisms are needed to address demographic challenges," Kim said. "I hope we can establish a standing exchange framework through policy dialogues and share policy cases through international seminars."

The committee said it plans to continue policy dialogues with APEC member economies and related consultative bodies, and to actively engage in efforts to translate regional cooperation on demographic change into concrete outcomes.


thlee@heraldcorp.com