Several countries in this world like India, China, the United States, Indonesia, etc are battling with the problem of over-population, framing schemes to control the birth rate in proportion to resources available. However, a few countries in contrast who host lower populations see fewer people as a national problem, encouraging the males and females within to get married and have kids. In one similar instance, South Korea has come up with an idea to sponsor dating, marriage, and stay of couples who meet for the first time with the help of the government.
As per the government, people setting out on blind or regular dates can now continue doing so with government assistance. They can get serious and marry in public museums or parks and pay only KRW 10,000 in monthly rent for their new home after marriage. The city of Busan has also come up with the idea of gifting $64,000 to couples who decide to marry and have children.
A 2023 census revealed that Korea’s overall population other than foreign nationals was 49.84 million, down 101,000 (0.2%) from the year 2022. As per the local reports, the same has been declining year after year since 2021. 2023’s total birthrate of 0.72 set a new record since it was lower than 0.78 in 2022. Also, only 194,000 marriages happened last year, a 40% decline from ten years ago.
A new concern has been observed by the Korean government: a rising number of youngsters are abandoning dating and marriage, resulting in a demographic collapse. The concurrent low birthrate has long been a societal issue, with the president even referring to it as a national disaster.
As a result of this, the government has undertaken steps to address the situation, such as establishing a ministry to oversee population management and planning. Local governments and private organizations have also initiated efforts. They have to date organized meetings between unmarried men and women and devised various plans and techniques to increase the population.
Couples allowed to stay in Jeol to find partners
Surprisingly, even the Buddhist community has joined in. On August 9th, a man from Dangjin, Chungcheongnam-do Province, and a woman from Seoul’s Gwangak-gu District first crossed paths and fell in love as part of the Korean Buddhist Foundation for Social Welfare’s “I am Jeolo” program. As per the local reports, Jeol means “temple” in Korean, and the program is believed to have been named after the dating reality show “I Am Solo.”
The program incorporates a temple stay with blind dates. It provides opportunities to meet single men and women in their twenties and thirties. Further, the participants are allowed to stay at a temple for one night and two days, participating in various programs to get to know one another and possibly find a companion.
The event has been happening for years now and this year’s fifth edition was held on August 9-10 in which more than 1500 people participated. Six of the final ten couples ended up being in romantic relationships. On August 11th, during an event commemorating World Population Day, “I am Jeolo” got a presidential award for its efforts to address the low birthrate of the country.
Notably, the city of Busan also aggressively promotes romantic partnerships among young people. This October, the Saha-gu District will hold a “Day of Unmarried Foreign and Local Men and Women’s Meeting”. It will evaluate applications, select participants, and set up blind dates between them.
The government has also planned KRW 500,000 for newlywed couples and KRW 1 million if they hold family gatherings to discuss marriage. In addition, if a couple marries, the government will pay them KRW 20 million in celebrations. Then, if they discover a house on rent, they will receive KRW 30 million as a deposit amount. Also, they may receive a monthly supplement of KRW 800,000 for up to five years.
Local governments extending monetary aid
This is in Busan. However, similar facilities are slated to be provided by Seoul, a city in South Korea. The Seoul Metropolitan Government has opened 28 public facilities as wedding halls, as those run by the private sector are expensive. Wedding halls at 22 locations, including the square at the Seoul Museum of History, the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, Maru Park of the Seoul Water Recycling Corporation, the Seoul Water Recycling Park, and Magok Square, are free for use. Six are indoors, while the rest are outdoors, which is generally preferred by newlyweds. Couples marrying here can receive up to KRW 1 million to spend on their wedding.
Several local governments are also establishing various schemes to offer homes, lessening the societal and financial burden that couples undergo. Starting next year, Incheon City will furnish residences to 1,000 newlywed couples at a monthly rent of KRW 30,000 for six years. Newly married couples who have married within the last seven years, as well as soon-to-be-married couples, will be eligible for accommodation.
Hwasun-gun, the county of Jeollanam-do Province offers out residences for KRW 10,000 per month to married couples. The county pays a deposit for the apartments and is renting them to newlyweds and young adults. Jeollanam-do Province also plans on offering 1,000 houses for the same monthly rent in areas with decreasing populations, including Goheung-gun, Boseong-gun, Jindo-gun, and Shinan-gun counties.
Lowering the Total Fertility Rate in South Korea
It is important to note that, the global Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has fallen from around 5 in 1950 to 2.2 in 2021. As of 2021, 110 countries and territories (54%) had rates below the population replacement level of 2.1 children per woman. It was reported in May this year that while the decline in Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has become a pervasive global issue, the challenges are particularly pronounced for South Korea, which has the world’s lowest TFR. Since 2018, South Korea has been the only member of the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) with a TFR below 1. According to reports, its population in 2023 declined for the fourth straight year.
According to preliminary data from Statistics Korea, a government-affiliated body, the average number of children a South Korean woman has during her lifetime (TFR) in 2023 registered an alarming drop. It fell from 0.78 in 2022 to 0.72 in 2023. It has earlier projected that its fertility rate will likely fall further to 0.68 in 2024. According to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington in Seattle, if the low fertility rate persists, the population of Asia’s fifth-biggest economy is projected to almost halve to 26.8 million by 2100.
Additionally, South Korean women give birth for the first time at an average age of 33.6 which is the highest among OECD members.
It is alarming that the country’s fertility rate continues to shrink and script record low every year despite comprehensive measures undertaken by the government and spending billions to increase its population. The country is facing what is being described as a threat of “national extinction”.
South Korea has spent over $270 billion on programs to encourage people to have more children, with no success
Since 2006, the Korean government has invested more than 360 trillion won ($270bn) in programs to urge Korean couples to have more children. For this, they have given a slew of incentives including cash subsidies, babysitting services, and support for infertility treatment. Conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol’s administration has made reversing the falling birthrate a “national priority”. In December, his government promised to come up with “extraordinary measures” to tackle the situation.
Since 2006, South Korea's government has spent $270bn, or just over 1% of GDP a year, on babymaking incentives. Here's the dismal result: pic.twitter.com/w9qIbubGA6
— James Pethokoukis ⏩️⤴️ (@JimPethokoukis) May 22, 2024
However, financial and other allurements have failed to convince Korean couples to have babies or bigger families. It’s important to note that sustained low fertility rates often indicate a rapidly aging population, leading to economic challenges. With fewer people of working age, boosting the economy becomes difficult, and a significant portion of the budget is redirected towards increasing healthcare and social security costs for the elderly.
According to the BBC, Korean couples with children receive free taxi services, and married couples are exempt from hospital bills and IVF treatment costs. With South Korea’s fertility rates plummeting, the city of Seongnam, the fourth-largest in the country, has resorted to organizing ‘mass blind dates’ in hopes of reversing the declining birth rates. Prospective parents are being enticed with various incentives, including cash rewards and housing subsidies.
Why does South Korea need to solve the problem of demographic drift in the coming times?
The decreased or rapidly decreasing population of the country eventually in the coming years can lead to a reduced labour force, which negatively could impact economic productivity. As widely known, an increasing population is frequently associated with a greater consumer base, which increases demand for goods and services. On the other hand, a diminishing population results in less consumer expenditure, impacting the economic growth of a nation. A lower population in South Korea might contribute to a poorer tax base, which further might negatively impact on funding of public services and infrastructure. The government might find it difficult to sustain essential services without increasing taxes or cutting benefits.
South Korea notably has one of the world’s fastest-aging populations. A higher proportion of the old compared to the young might result in an imbalance, with fewer young individuals ready and prepared to care for the elderly, both economically and socially. This demographic shift holds the potential to disrupt intergenerational relationships and place an additional load on the younger generation in the future if the problem remains unsolved.
The country’s population growth can boost its global influence, both economically and culturally as a larger population frequently correlates to a more powerful voice in international affairs and a greater ability to advocate its cultural and political values globally. Ultimately, expanding South Korea’s population is viewed as critical to preserving economic stability, sustaining long-term social welfare systems, balancing demographics, promoting innovation, maintaining national security, and increasing worldwide influence. Addressing population decline through measures that promote greater birth rates, support families, and attract immigrants is critical to the country’s long-term prosperity.
