Among the most absurd policies being considered are the implementation of night-time study sessions for elementary school students and the abolishment of minimum wage.
Translation: On the 19th, the government declared a “population national emergency” and discussed measures to combat low birth rates.
Policies discussed on this day included measures such as pay for maternity leave, expansion of maternity leave, and relaxation of loan standards.
Among these, the implementation of night-time study sessions for elementary school students and the abolishment of minimum wage are receiving significant attention.
According to what the government has discussed, keeping elementary school students up late increases the likelihood of second births within married couples.
On June 19, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared a “national emergency on population” after attending a meeting of the Presidential Committee on Aging Society and Population Policy. The meeting was organized in order to try and combat the country’s falling birth rate; Korea’s fertility rate, which is the number of children a woman has in her lifetime, hit a record low of 0.76 in the first quarter of 2024 and is projected to fall to 0.68 later this year.
In order to combat the ever-decreasing birthrate in South Korea, the country’s government wants to launch a “comprehensive emergency response system” with new measures designed after previous policies have so far failed to make a positive change.
Some of the new policies discussed at the meeting include government-funded free education and care for children between the ages of 3 and 5, as well as the introduction of a new marriage tax deduction. However, some of the other measures that have been revealed have been getting ridiculed by netizens, and understandably so.
Among the most absurd policies being considered are the implementation of night-time study sessions for elementary school students and the abolishment of minimum wage. Apparently, government officials believe that keeping kids up later “increases the likelihood of second births within married couples”.
Translation: On the 19th, the government declared a “population national emergency” and discussed measures to combat low birth rates. Policies discussed on this day included measures such as pay for maternity leave, expansion of maternity leave, and relaxation of loan standards. Among these, the implementation of night-time study sessions for elementary school students and the abolishment of minimum wage are receiving significant attention. According to what the government has discussed, keeping elementary school students up late increases the likelihood of second births within married couples.
Most of the regular citizens involved in this discussion are beyond exasperated by the strange policies that the government seems to think will encourage people to have more children, when in reality, the major issues women have spoken up about regarding their choice to have fewer children have more to do with the current economy (making it hard to afford to raise children) and the behavior and mindset of men and the “incel” community, both in Korea and as a whole. Until drastic measures are made to improve these areas of life, it seems that many women will choose to stay child-free for their own sanity and well-being.
Here’s how people are reacting to these new ideas, and they’re just a few of the numerous scathing comments.
It seems like it might be some time before genuine changes are made to help increase Korea’s (and the world’s) declining birthrate.
