President Yoon Suk Yeol appointed former Industry Minister Joo Hyung-hwan as vice chairman of the Presidential Committee on Aging Society and Population Policy, presidential chief of staff Lee Kwan-sup said Monday.

Joo is a policy expert known for his drive to get things done and is expected to lead the committee in a way that produces visible results in a swift manner, Lee said.

Yoon is the ex-officio chairman of the committee.

"With the recognition that society's survival is at stake, (we) are at a point to prepare for a turnaround by not only taking short-term measures but also special measures at structural levels in the economy, society and culture," Joo told reporters, noting that South Korea has the lowest total fertility rate in the world.

The country's total fertility rate -- the average number of children a woman bears in her lifetime -- fell to a fresh low of 0.78 in 2022, well below the replacement level of 2.1 needed to maintain the country's population at 51 million.

Yoon also appointed Yun Oh-jun, the presidential secretary for cybersecurity, as the third deputy director of the National Intelligence Service. The post is responsible for overseeing science and cyber intelligence operations.

Lee described Yun as being ideal for the job, citing his doctorate in IT policy and his experience in cybersecurity affairs. (Yonhap)