Beyond the Demographic Cliff: Economic Adaptation in Hyper-Aged Korea

KEI is pleased to host an exclusive event, “Beyond the Demographic Cliff: Economic Adaptation in Hyper-Aged Korea,” which examines how South Korea can redesign its economic structures to sustain prosperity and promote national security under conditions of demographic maturity.

KEI Non-Resident Fellow Darcie Draudt-Véjares will discuss this research into South Korea’s demographics and help attendees better understand how and why South Korea’s efforts to reverse its world-low fertility rates have failed.

By 2070, Korea’s population is projected to shrink by 27%, with older adults comprising nearly half the total. But the country can also adapt to this new reality, prioritizing age-smart industrial policy and retooling national strategies around longevity and capital efficiency. This includes increasing investment in financial literacy, pension equity, and regional specialization.

Dr. Draudt-Véjares’s full report on these pathways forward will be featured in the spring/summer issue of KEI’s flagship journal, Korea Policy, due out in early June.