economic pressure

South Korea Keeps Shattering Its Own Record for World’s Lowest Fertility Rate

South Korea keeps shattering its own record for the world’s lowest fertility rate, and it’s no surprise with the state of the work culture and the skyrocketing cost of raising a child in the country. The government’s proposal for a 69-hour workweek was fortunately rejected, but it’s a clear indication that there is little effort being made to address the root causes of this alarming trend. The statistic that 54.5% of all children born last year in South Korea are from upper-class families is a telling sign of the financial burden associated with having children in the country.

In the past, having children was seen as a financial investment – they could work on the family farm and support their parents as they got older.… Continue reading