Minister of Budget and Planning Park Hong-keun stated today (September 16), "The 2045 national development strategy serves as a blueprint for the lives of future generations," adding, "Together with the next generation, we will build an 'irreplaceable South Korea' that no other country in the world can substitute."

Minister Park made the remarks during a joint seminar hosted by the Ministry of Budget and Planning, the National Economic Advisory Council, and the Presidential Advisory Council on Science and Technology at Fairmont Ambassador Seoul.

The event was held under the theme of "The 2045 Mid- to Long-Term National Development Strategy and Accompanying Future Generations."

In his opening remarks, Minister Park said, "Depending on how we prepare and respond today, we could either make a greater leap forward as a nation leading the world or lose vitality, peaking with our current achievements." He outlined three visions for South Korea by 2045: ▲ a South Korea that continues to grow through innovation, ▲ a South Korea where innovation improves the lives of its citizens, and ▲ a South Korea trusted and sought after by the world.

To achieve this future, Park stated that the government must make proactive investments, carry out bold structural reforms, and design the future. He emphasized that the government will concentrate national capabilities on fields that accelerate future opportunities while reforming systems and fiscal structures to match changed demographic and industrial structures.

Kim Sung-shik, Vice Chairman of the National Economic Advisory Council, noted the importance of securing intergenerational consensus by allowing future generations to voice their opinions and actively participate in mid- to long-term national development visions and strategies.

Lee Kyung-su, Vice Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Council on Science and Technology, stated that the next generation should not merely be viewed as targets of policy support, but that institutional channels must be established to enable their direct participation in the planning, execution, and evaluation processes of national science and technology strategies.

During the seminar, various proposals were presented regarding employment shocks driven by artificial intelligence (AI) and solutions for youth issues.

Seo Yong-seok, a professor at the KAIST Munnsul Graduate School of Future Strategy, pointed out a significant concern that future AI-driven employment shocks will likely concentrate on young people entering the labor market.

He suggested redefining the goals of science and technology strategy from "youth job creation" centered on employment subsidies and short-term measures to "redesigning the pathway for accumulating experience."

Won Seung-yeon, a professor of business administration at Myongji University, highlighted issues such as the delayed entry of youth into the labor market, the expansion of non-regular jobs, and deepening asset inequality caused by soaring housing prices.

He emphasized the need to scrap simple, handout-style youth policies and instead create fair opportunities that guarantee the transfer of authority from the older generation, the transmission of tacit knowledge, and social mobility.