Population decline has now become an inescapable reality across all aspects of our lives. South Korea’s unprecedented post-war growth from the ruins was made possible by the sacrifices of the baby boom generation and their fierce determination to escape poverty. Yet the demographic cliff that followed this dazzling prosperity now casts a dark shadow, threatening to sap our society’s growth engine. Though obscured by the glamour of the capital region, small provincial cities already stand on the brink of collapse due to the exodus of young people. The warning that a ‘reverse triangle structure’ – where one economically active person must support three elderly parents – will become reality in ten years is terrifying.

I seek solutions to this urgent problem in two major currents: the ‘absorption unification of North Korea’ and the ‘return of the global Korean diaspora’. If we can relocate the Korean Chinese in China, the Koryo-saram in Central Asia, and overseas Koreans residing in places like the United States into the embrace of a unified Korea, we could once again equip ourselves with an explosive growth engine rivaling the baby boom era. Fortunately, we now live in an era where K-culture influences people worldwide to study Korean and admire our culture. Strategically leveraging this trend to attract talent or establish hubs where capital and human resources flow smoothly across the globe could transform population decline into a new opportunity for ‘population explosion’ and ‘territorial expansion’.

The fastest way to turn this bold vision into reality is through ‘global hubs for startups’. This involves establishing small offices in key global locations to localize sales, marketing, and development, while building a system that shares the agile organizational culture and purpose-driven mindset unique to startups. I believe that when companies become conduits for human and material resources across borders, we can find solutions to national challenges like population decline. I cheer on startups dreaming of this future, and to become part of that movement myself, I rise at dawn today to leave my mark. Choosing hope over despair, I start each day with vigor.