Better work-life balance, changes to education system needed to raise Korea's birthrate, experts say

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Better work-life balance, changes to education system needed to raise Korea's birthrate, experts say

Published: 26 Nov. 2024, 16:42

CHO JUNG-WOO
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Michael Herrmann, a senior adviser on demographic resilience at the United Nations Population Fund (Unfpa), speaks during an interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily held on the sidelines of the 8th Global Symposium on Low Fertility and Ageing co-hosted by Statistics Korea and the United Nations Population Fund in central Seoul on Tuesday. [STATISTICS KOREA]

Demographic experts on Tuesday highlighted the need to improve work-life balance and alleviate Korea’s highly competitive education system to overcome the country’s staggeringly low birthrate during a global symposium held in central Seoul.

“Korea is one of the countries that has spent a lot of money trying to raise fertility levels,” said Michael Herrmann, a senior adviser on demographic resilience at the United Nations Population Fund (Unfpa), during an interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily on the sidelines of the symposium.

“But the country is not asking why people are not having children and is not adopting a bottom-up approach instead of a top-down one,” he added, emphasizing the importance of understanding why women are reluctant to marry or have children before formulating policies.

The two-day symposium, held at the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat in central Seoul through Wednesday, brings together around 70 experts from 20 countries. Co-hosted annually by Statistics Korea and the Unfpa, the 8th Global Symposium on Low Fertility and Ageing will feature seven sessions focused on topics such as parental leave, child care, financial support for childbearing, housing and shifting gender and social norms.

Last year, the Korean government spent over 48 trillion won ($36 billion) addressing the country’s declining birthrate, according to the National Assembly Budget Office. The amount is double the 24 trillion won spent in 2017.

The increased spending comes as Korea’s fertility rate hit a record low of 0.72 in 2023, down from 0.78 the previous year, marking the lowest rate in the world.

Herrmann attributed the declining birthrate to several factors, including poor work-life balance, high housing costs and the country’s competitive education system. He also challenged societal norms that frame marriage as a prerequisite for childbirth.

“One way of looking at the issue is to ask why women are not getting married. But the other question is: why is it not acceptable for women to have children outside of marriage?” he said.

Tomas Sobotka, deputy director of the Vienna Institute of Demography, right, speaks during the 8th Global Symposium on Low Fertility and Ageing co-hosted by Statistics Korea and the United Nations Population Fund in central Seoul on Tuesday. [CHO JUNG-WOO]

While births outside of marriage remain a small percentage of Korea’s total, the number has steadily increased. According to a report by Statistics Korea in August, 10,900 babies were born out of wedlock in 2023 — the highest number since data collection began — accounting for 4.7 percent of the 230,000 newborns that year. The figure has risen from 7,700 in 2021 and 9,800 in 2022.

Regarding Korea’s response to its low birthrate, Herrmann acknowledged the government is “taking it very seriously” and “moving in the right direction.” However, he advised examining the experiences of other countries that have implemented policies focused on supporting individuals.

He highlighted the importance of targeting young people and providing incentives, such as tax breaks for young couples, including foreigners.

“It’s a way to boost their income, help them settle and work in the country and perhaps start a family here,” he said.

Muzhi Zhou, an assistant professor in the urban governance and design thrust at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Guangzhou, speaks during an interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily held on the sidelines of the 8th Global Symposium on Low Fertility and Ageing co-hosted by Statistics Korea and the United Nations Population Fund in central Seoul on Tuesday. [STATISTICS KOREA]

Muzhi Zhou, an assistant professor in the urban governance and design thrust at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Guangzhou, echoed Herrmann’s views, emphasizing how Korea’s “education miracle” has further contributed to its low birthrate.

“Koreans pay too much attention to educational success,” Zhou told the Korea JoongAng Daily, referencing a paper she had reviewed earlier.

She added that the “strong desire to bet everything on education” has created a unique family dynamic in Korea. Unlike many other countries, poorer households in Korea often have fewer children because they cannot afford to provide costly educational support, such as cram schools or private tutors.

Zhou also pointed to Korea’s “toxic” work culture as a contributing factor.

“The working culture in East Asia — not only in Korea — is not family-friendly and needs to change,” she said, advocating for flexible working hours and locations to create a more supportive environment for families.

Herrmann also underscored the importance of addressing structural causes like work-life balance by implementing parental leave for both mothers and fathers to share child-rearing responsibilities.

“If there’s no gender equality in raising children, women will have demanding careers, do the housework and child-rearing. That’s not an attractive option for many women,” he said.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [[email protected]]