[The Editors' Verdict]A Groundbreaking Solution to the Low Birthrate Crisis

Most Strollers Seen During Walks Are for Pet Dogs
Clear, Consumer-Centered Solutions Needed

Among every 10 strollers encountered while walking along the Han River or in parks, 9 or even all 10 belong to pet dogs. Even when you look just in case, it’s the same. Meeting children is that difficult.

A few years ago, the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs asked unmarried adult men and women, "What do you think is the main reason for not having children?" 71.6% of respondents cited economic reasons. These include not being financially stable, the burden of childcare and education costs, and the lack of a suitable living environment for raising children. About 20% answered that it was because they are busy with work or that life without children is more relaxed and comfortable. The same question was asked to married people. Similarly, 73% cited economic problems as the reason for avoiding childbirth.

The total fertility rate is 0.78, with an annual birth count of 249,000. The current low birthrate issue has reached a level where extinction must be worried about. Although the reasons are known, proper solutions have neither been proposed nor implemented. There are plenty of benchmark cases from advanced countries that have successfully raised their fertility rates. The president has empowered the Low Birthrate and Aging Society Committee by serving as its ex officio chairman, but there is still no income. The inability to come up with groundbreaking methods can be seen as either a lack of will or doing irrelevant things. It is either one or both.

There should be no fear of struggling financially while raising children or passing on poverty. There must be confidence that one can devote enough time to children to maintain emotional bonding and live at least an average standard of life together.

For families who have children, childcare and all education should be free or nearly free. Assuming a monthly cash support of 500,000 won per child, it would require 6 million won per year and 120 million won over 20 years. If the population aged 0-19 is 8 million, 48 trillion won would be needed annually, and if the support amount doubles, 96 trillion won would be required.

During infancy and elementary school years, parental care is especially necessary. Nowadays, many couples both work, but children cannot be left solely to daycare centers that provide night care or after-school care rooms. Time flexibility to care for children while working is needed, but the reality is that there are not many workplaces or jobs that allow this. Fathers and mothers are not machines; they need time to rest and time to spend with their children. More institutional support is necessary, but the burden should not be placed solely on companies.

Once past the childcare stage, a new war begins. South Korea’s entrance exam war is not fought by children alone. The entrance exam system is so complicated that sometimes it feels like it was created for the education industry. After experiencing daycare night care, elementary school after-school care rooms, private education, entrance exam competition, and needle’s eye-level employment difficulties, it is questionable whether young people want to have children and let them go through the same ordeal.

Although 280 trillion won was poured in over 15 years, it is necessary to reflect on whether it was ineffective or just not done properly. Was it that bubble budgets and department store-style measures were overused, failing to properly douse the burning house? If it is going to continue like this, it would be better to just distribute cash.