[The Editors' Verdict] The Choices of a 'Mangkae'

The question raised by foreign media under the title "Is Korea Disappearing?" has properly highlighted the seriousness of low birth rates. The New York Times (NYT), in a column on the 2nd (local time), pointed out that South Korea's total fertility rate has dropped to 0.7, comparing its impact to be potentially worse than the medieval Black Death era. It even raised the possibility that North Korea, with a total fertility rate of 1.8, could invade the South based on its population advantage.

Three main causes of low birth rates were identified. The brutal exam competition culture that pushes students into hagwons (cram schools) (competitive pressure), the conflict between feminism and anti-feminism (gender confrontation), and internet gaming culture, which has led Korean men to become more engrossed in virtual entities than real-life partners (escapism), possibly resulting in a decline in marriage rates. Compared to competitive pressure and gender confrontation, escapism has been less frequently cited as a cause. In this regard, the intense enthusiasm for the 2023 LoL World Championship, the world's largest e-sports festival that successfully concluded domestically last month, stands in stark contrast to the harsh reality of low birth rates.

There is a term widely used in internet gaming called ‘mangkae’ (망캐). It is mainly used in character development-type games. It refers to a character whose stats are poorly developed or who does not follow the standard path to maximize stats. If a character lacks perfect utility, it becomes a ‘mangkae’?a failed character. To avoid becoming a mangkae, one must firmly hold their focus from level 1 and know the perfect development course even before starting the game. Despite efforts to avoid becoming a mangkae, the system inevitably creates mangkaes. What was useful before may become unnecessary due to trends, and sometimes the game rules themselves change through patches and updates.

If we view Korean society as a character at this point, it might be close to a mangkae beyond recovery. Coincidentally, on the 3rd, the Bank of Korea Economic Research Institute released a report titled "Ultra-Low Fertility and Ultra-Aging Society." It issued a shocking warning that without effective responses to the current low birth rate, there is a 68% chance that Korea’s growth rate will turn negative around 2050. The proposed countermeasures included easing concentration in the metropolitan area, mitigating the dual structure of the labor market, and stabilizing housing prices and household debt downward. It also stated that youth employment rates, out-of-wedlock birth rates, actual usage periods of parental leave, and government spending related to families should be raised to the average levels of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). It is overwhelming to even know where to start undoing the wrongly fastened buttons.

The options for a mangkae are limited. Broadly, there are two: one is to exchange real assets for high-priced items to compensate for flaws, and the other is to ‘reset’?that is, delete the character. This is an extreme and frightening choice. Unfortunately, the character of Korean society does not have the option to be deleted, nor should it have one. Ultimately, there is no choice but to deploy items. Referring to the Bank of Korea’s suggestions alone is sufficient to decide which items to equip.

Then only one thing remains. Stop wasting all efforts on supporting the overheated housing market and even advocating for Seoul annexation, instead of easing concentration in the metropolitan area. Just as there is a sensitive reaction to voices claiming ‘male reverse discrimination,’ it is necessary to listen attentively to women’s voices. The causes of low birth rates pointed out by the Bank of Korea are all highly contentious and politically sensitive issues that inevitably lead to controversy and political strife. There is a very high risk of losing political capital such as approval ratings. Nevertheless, only the determination and drive to push forward can revive the mangkae.