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SKOREA-SOCIAL-POPULATION
South Korea population falls for first time
SEOUL, Jan 4, 2021 (BSS/AFP) – South Korea’s population fell for the first
time in 2020, with more people dying than were born, the government said
Monday, warning that towns in poor regions faced a “crisis of extinction”.
The world’s 12th-largest economy has one of its longest life expectancies
and one of its lowest birthrates, a combination that presents a looming
demographic disaster.
As of December 31, South Korea had 51,829,023 people, down 20,838 from a
year earlier, according to data released by the interior ministry.
Annual births have been falling for years and it added that they had been
exceeded by deaths for the first time, 275,815 to 307,764.
“In regions with poor economic, medical and educational infrastructure, the
crisis of the extinction of such towns is escalating,” the ministry said.
It called for “fundamental changes” in government policies, including on
welfare and education.
According to experts there are multiple causes for the phenomenon,
including the expense of child-rearing and soaring property prices, coupled
with a notoriously competitive society that makes well-paid jobs difficult to
secure.
The double burden for working mothers of carrying out the brunt of
household chores and childcare while also maintaining their careers is
another key factor.
The South has spent more than 180 trillion won ($166 billion) since 2006 to
boost birth rates but the population is projected to fall to 39 million in
2067, when the median age will be 62.
Reactions among South Koreans were mixed.
“The current situation will continue unless all dual-income households can
afford to raise their children without any worries,” one citizen posted on
Twitter.
But another suggested a falling population could help reduce South Korea’s
carbon emissions and narrow its wealth gap.
South Korea ranks 27th globally by population and its neighbours China and
Japan are also ageing rapidly.
BSS/AFP/SSS/1544 hrs