In early 2021, the South Korean media poured out discouraging articles on the natural decrease in the nation’s population. The low birth phenomenon has continued for almost two decades since 2002, when the total fertility rate (TFR)?defined as the average number of children that a woman would bear during her reproductive lifespan between ages 19 and 49 years?dropped below 1.3 [1]. In 2020, the number of births was surpassed by deaths, causing a natural population decline.
To make the matter worse, young people are more likely to delay marriage or having children in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) era, leading to an even lower number of expected births this year. It is a national task to slow the trend of low birth rates and an aging population by taking appropriate actions to bring about social, economic, cultural, and regional changes that can create a more sustainable society. In this paper, I would like to discuss the current status of low birth in
South Korea (hereinafter, Korea) as well as the issues and future directions of the country’s population policy.
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