I’ve read some explanations for their falling birth rate. What I don’t understand is, other developed countries also have those problems, their birth rates are low as well, but why are they not as low as SK’s?
In: 2587
Birth rates in Scandinavian nations are quite low, enough so that the governments there offer numerous incentives to start a family. (See: ‘Do it for Denmark’ campaign.)
One key difference between Korea (and Japan) vs. Scandinavian nations is that most folks in the prime family-raising age range are working crazy hours. Especially for Korean women, prioritizing family over work is career suicide. All the government policies aimed at encouraging young people to start families are having little to no effect because corporations still punish women (by stalling or ending their careers) for having kids.
Decades ago, Korean women grudgingly accepted societal pressure and expectations, and became housewives upon having children. Back then it was very feasible for the man to be the sole bread winner and still make ends meet.
In recent years, more and more Korean women are standing up for themselves and prioritizing their careers. At the same time, the cost of living has increased so much that both parties in a couple have to work to afford their own space and put food on the table.
Speaking as a Korean who spent some time living in that brutally hyper-competitive society, I can’t help but feel some degree of Schadenfreude while watching the Korean government panic about a pending population collapse. All those decades of prioritizing economic growth over people’s lives are about to finally bite them in the butt.
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