An obstetrician holds the hand of a newborn at the Kyungpook National University Chilgok Hospital in Daegu, April 24, 2024. Korea Times photo by Jung Da-bin

Korea needs to accept more foreigners and seek other comprehensive measures to tackle problems in connection with its ultra-low birth rate and rapid aging, a senior presidential committee official said Tuesday.

"Rather than putting policy focus only on how to boost birth rates, we now need to have more comprehensive perspectives and devise solutions, such as attracting more foreigners," said Joo Hyung-hwan, vice chairman of the Presidential Committee on Aging Society and Population Policy, during a forum in Seoul.

The country is experiencing grim demographic changes, as many young people opt to postpone or give up on getting married or having babies in line with changing social norms and lifestyles, as well as amid a tough job market and high home prices.

The total fertility rate, which means the average number of expected births from a woman in her lifetime, is forecast to come to 0.75 in 2024, which is far below the 2.1 births per woman needed to maintain a stable population without immigration.

"We should create decent environments that attract foreign talent, particularly in advanced industries and young workforce, and come up with innovative measures for social integration," Joo said.

The number of foreigners staying in South Korea came to around 2.65 million in 2024, accounting for about 5 percent of the total population, according to government data. (Yonhap)