South Korea’s birth rate has become a national emergency - FT中文网
登录×
电子邮件/用户名
密码
记住我
请输入邮箱和密码进行绑定操作:
请输入手机号码,通过短信验证(目前仅支持中国大陆地区的手机号):
请您阅读我们的用户注册协议隐私权保护政策,点击下方按钮即视为您接受。
人口

South Korea’s birth rate has become a national emergency

The country’s twin expenses of education and housing is putting young couples off having children
00:00

{"text":[[{"start":12.27,"text":"The writer is a professor of law at Seoul National University "}],[{"start":16.29,"text":"South Korea has beaten its own record once again. "},{"start":19.682,"text":"The country has registered a new low in its already faltering birth rate. "},{"start":23.549,"text":"The rate for 2023 was just 0.72. "},{"start":26.942,"text":"This is an unprecedented number in the global community (the average for OECD countries was 1.58 in 2021). "}],[{"start":35.09,"text":"At the current pace, the South Korean population will be halved by 2100 to just 24mn. "},{"start":41.557,"text":"In 2022, 249,000 babies were born. "},{"start":45.574000000000005,"text":"For the country’s labour market to function, South Korea needs 500,000 babies a year at a minimum. "},{"start":51.404,"text":"It is operating at half that figure. "}],[{"start":53.940000000000005,"text":"And don’t forget that this is the scorecard after the injection of around $247bn by the government since 2006. "},{"start":61.382000000000005,"text":"A host of childcare vouchers and direct grants have not had the desired impact. "}],[{"start":66.45,"text":"It was as long ago as 2005 that the birth rate of 1.2 first startled South Korea, causing the government to realise the extent of the problem and begin working on it. "},{"start":75.879,"text":"The Presidential Committee on Ageing Society and Population Policy was established. "},{"start":80.409,"text":"It is still at the helm of national policy. "},{"start":82.93900000000001,"text":"But despite these efforts, South Korea has reached a point where the problem is becoming more of a national emergency. "}],[{"start":90.07000000000001,"text":"The short-sighted, small-family campaigns of the 1970s and 80s played a role in the current predicament — “One child per family is still too many for Korea” was the slogan then. "},{"start":99.924,"text":"But experts agree that there are two outstanding culprits today: the exorbitant cost of education and housing. "},{"start":105.76700000000001,"text":"Fearful of these twin expenses, young couples have not dared to have and raise children. "}],[{"start":110.94000000000001,"text":"The government may be able to find a way to deal with the housing issue. "},{"start":114.61900000000001,"text":"Agencies can control housing prices through taxation and construction permits, and offer preferential packages to families with young children through special laws and regulation. "},{"start":123.77400000000002,"text":"It is difficult and costly, of course, but doable. "}],[{"start":128.25,"text":"When it comes to schooling, however, things are different. "},{"start":131.717,"text":"A huge number of South Korean children attend private teaching institutions, regardless of whether they also go to public schools. "},{"start":138.50900000000001,"text":"In 2022, South Korea registered its highest tuition expenditure for private education yet, spending almost $20bn. "},{"start":146.227,"text":"This number does not even show the full picture; there are myriad associated costs, such as those of books, materials, counselling fees and food. "}],[{"start":155.4,"text":"It is therefore not uncommon for families in Seoul to spend a significant portion of their monthly household income on private education. "},{"start":162.429,"text":"According to a December 2023 report released by the Federation of Korean Industries, 26 per cent of the drastic drop in birth rates between 2015 and 2022 was attributed to the prohibitive cost of private education for potential parents. "}],[{"start":176.74,"text":"This problem is difficult to fix because it is so intertwined with the country’s culture. "},{"start":181.382,"text":"South Korean society is deeply competitive. "},{"start":184.24900000000002,"text":"This will take time to change. "},{"start":185.979,"text":"In the meantime, artificial intelligence and digitalisation may have a role to play in reducing the cost of private education. "}],[{"start":193.38,"text":"AI-enabled education programmes could replace conventional, late-night in-person cramming at teaching institutions. "},{"start":199.984,"text":"Digitalisation could help make private education more accessible for poorer families. "},{"start":204.514,"text":"Of course, both moves have their own perils — the possibility that they might engender further competition between children is an important concern. "},{"start":212.007,"text":"But with planning, these side-effects can be curbed. "}],[{"start":215.95,"text":"Many countries are witnessing a decline in birth rates. "},{"start":219.304,"text":"Earlier this month, France, alarmed by the lowest birth rate in almost three decades in 2023 — at 1.68 compared with South Korea’s 0.72 — announced a major reform to its parental leave system. "},{"start":231.797,"text":"But while South Korea may not be unique in facing this problem, or in attempting to tackle its causes, it stands alone in just how bad things have become. "}],[{"start":239.97,"text":""}]],"url":"https://creatives.ftacademy.cn/album/140111-1706575112.mp3"}

版权声明:本文版权归FT中文网所有,未经允许任何单位或个人不得转载,复制或以任何其他方式使用本文全部或部分,侵权必究。

美国和欧洲的货币政策走上不同道路

欧元区经济增长乏力,美国与欧洲央行走上了不同的利率轨迹。

特朗普的回归让反虚假信息世界不寒而栗

特朗普打击“审查卡特尔”的誓言令反虚假信息领域的研究人员忧心忡忡,但得到了硅谷重量级人物的公开支持。

特朗普关税威胁令出口商不安,德国经济阴霾加深

分析师警告称,德国经济极易受到贸易冲突的不利影响,可能会使其本已处于困境的经济进一步陷入衰退。

美国通胀会再次抬头吗?

欧元区通胀将以多快的速度上升?欧洲天然气价格会继续上涨吗?

俄罗斯招募也门雇佣军在乌克兰作战

与胡塞武装有关的神秘公司诱骗男子加入莫斯科的战争机器。

令人大开眼界的时间测量新科学

在科罗拉多州没有窗户的实验室里,摆放着20台原子钟,全世界都在用它们来计时。它们几乎跟不上。
设置字号×
最小
较小
默认
较大
最大
分享×