South Korea might become the first country to disappear naturally!

South Korea is facing an urgent low birth rate problem.

President Yoon Suk-yeol has warned that if this trend continues, South Korea might face the risk of population extinction.

So, just how low is South Korea’s birth rate? What are the reasons behind it?

On June 19, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol announced that South Korea has entered a "population emergency."

According to the latest statistics for 2023, South Korea’s birth rate has dropped to 0.72.

This means that, on average, each woman will have only 72 children over her lifetime. Considering that some families may have two or more children, approximately one-third of women choose not to have any children.

In developed countries, a birth rate of around 2.1 is typically needed to maintain population balance.

South Korea’s birth rate had already fallen to 1.24 in 2015, and by 2023, it had dropped further to 0.72, setting a global record for the lowest birth rate.

South Korea’s low birth rate is not only alarming but is decreasing faster than the population decline during the Black Death in Europe.

The Black Death reduced Europe’s population by one-third, and it is clear that if South Korea’s low birth rate continues, the risk of disappearance is also significant.

In fact, South Korea once experienced a period of rapid population growth.

In the 1960s and 1970s, South Korea's population growth rate was as high as 2.9%, the highest on record in Korean history.

To control the population and promote economic development, the South Korean government implemented family planning policies. About a decade later, the birth rate decreased to 1.3%.

However, despite the South Korean government’s efforts to encourage childbirth in the late 20th century, aiming to maintain the birth rate at around 1.7%, the impact of the financial crisis led South Korea back into the low birth rate predicament, which it has yet to escape.

To address the low birth rate, the South Korean government has implemented many incentive measures, which occupy a significant portion of government spending.

According to government policy, families who have a child in South Korea can receive a subsidy equivalent to $50,000 for the first two years.

But even though this subsidy is not insignificant compared to other developed countries, why are South Koreans still reluctant to have children?

The reason is that the cost of raising a child in South Korea is extremely high.

In comparison, a $50,000 subsidy seems trivial against the costs of child-rearing.

Moreover, although South Korea’s national income is not low, with an average household income of about $4,000 per month, the expenses of raising a child significantly reduce the family’s standard of living.

Child-rearing requires not only substantial economic investment but also a considerable amount of energy, making it challenging for many families.

The South Korean government has also introduced various childcare leave policies, such as increasing the pay for childcare leave and extending the duration of paternity leave.

While these policies seem effective on the surface, they face many practical challenges.

Paid leave is a benefit for employees but a burden for businesses.

Women’s maternity leave often leads to discrimination in the workplace, and men worry that taking leave might affect their jobs, undermining the effectiveness of these policies.

Some businesses, to reduce costs, are reluctant to hire newlyweds, which indirectly lowers the birth rate, creating a vicious cycle.

The reasons for South Korea’s low birth rate are very complex.

First, policies were not implemented in a timely manner. After implementing birth control policies in the last century, South Korea should have adjusted its policies promptly to adapt to changes.

However, the policies were only relaxed in 1989. After entering the 21st century, when the birth rate fell to 1.2, the government failed to take effective measures in time, only beginning to encourage childbirth in 2005.

Second, the pressure of life in South Korea is enormous, affecting not only adults but also students.

South Korean students face heavy academic burdens, often spending excessive time and energy on their studies, which causes many young people to feel anxious about the future and reluctant to have children.

The deepest issue is the plight of South Korean women.

South Korean women face immense social and family pressure after marriage, having to care for not only children but also in-laws, with very high societal expectations and demands on them.

Women also face severe discrimination in the workplace, making them more negative towards childbirth and child-rearing.

Globally, the phenomenon of declining birth rates has become a widespread trend.

France and some European countries have achieved certain successes in addressing the birth rate issue.

Their secret lies in creating a female-friendly social environment, improving welfare policies, and ensuring maternity and paternity leave for women and men.