Lee Jae-myung: "We Need to Consider Sending Men Home... Childcare and Childbirth Are Not Solely Individual Responsibilities"

Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, is attending the "The Nation Will Raise Together" National Campaign Committee meeting held at the central party office in Yeouido, Seoul on the 20th, delivering a speech. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] On the 20th, Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, said, "Birth is a personal choice, but childcare, upbringing, and education should be considered the complete responsibility of the state and community."

At the National Election Countermeasures Committee meeting held at the party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, on the morning of the same day, Candidate Lee said, "We need to break away from the fixed notion that childbirth, child-rearing, and childcare are individual responsibilities." Eight ordinary citizens raising children in various forms, including foster fathers, foster mothers, single moms, and single daddies, attended the meeting.

Candidate Lee said, "Our country's total fertility rate is the lowest in the world," adding, "This is likely because social growth has stagnated and hope for the future has disappeared. It stems from a non-productive structure where the responsibility for childbirth, child-rearing, upbringing, and childcare is entirely borne by individuals, especially with women almost solely in charge."

He said, "Until now, we have been concerned about how to get women into the workplace, but now we need to think about how to get men to stay at home."

He continued, "I don't like the term 'normal family.' Until now, policies have been created and implemented centered on traditional family types," adding, "Nowadays, there are too many families of different forms. Childcare and education policies need to change based on diverse family types." Candidate Lee also mentioned the proposals previously announced by the election committee, including ▲providing elementary school aftercare at least until 7 p.m., ▲automatic registration and increased use of maternity leave and parental leave, and ▲integration of kindergartens and childcare facilities.