"South Korea Is Finished... Probably Irreversible," Chilling Warning from 23.8 Million Subscriber YouTuber

"South Korea's Birthrate Crisis Has Reached an Irreversible Point"
"By 2060, One Out of Two Will Be 65 or Older"

A German YouTube channel with 23.8 million subscribers has attracted attention by posting a video forecasting a bleak future related to South Korea's low birthrate issue.

On the 2nd, the YouTube channel Kurzgesagt uploaded a video highlighting South Korea's low birthrate issue. Screenshot from Kurzgesagt.

On the 2nd, the German YouTube channel Kurzgesagt uploaded a video titled "South Korea is over." Kurzgesagt means "in a nutshell" in German, and this channel posts videos that explain topics of curiosity, including science, in an easy-to-understand animated format of about 15 minutes.

The video stated, "South Korea has been experiencing an unprecedented birthrate crisis in human history for decades," and added, "(South Korea's birthrate crisis) has probably reached an irreversible point."

It then warned with animations featuring globally well-known items such as Buldak Bokkeum Myun (spicy chicken noodles), the drama Squid Game, the group BLACKPINK, and gimbap, saying, "By 2060, the South Korea we know and love will no longer exist."

In 2023, South Korea's total fertility rate was 0.72, with Seoul's rate particularly low at 0.55, which is significantly lower compared to other countries such as South Africa (2.2), the United States (1.6), Germany (1.4), and China (1.0). The video explained, "If the birthrate remains like this, 100 Koreans will have 36 children, who will grow up and have 13 children, and then those children will have 5 children," adding, "In just four generations, 100 Koreans will decrease to 5."

The video also mentioned that by 2060, South Korea's population will decrease by 30% compared to now, and one in two Koreans will be aged 65 or older, making it "the oldest country in the world." It pointed out that the economic, social, and cultural achievements South Korea has built up could collapse, as there will be a shortage of young people able to work, making development difficult.

However, the video noted, "In 2024, for the first time in nine years, the number of births increased," and diagnosed that if the birthrate rebounds like this, there could be hope. The video said, "For the (birthrate rebound) situation to continue, South Korea must face reality and ask how it came to this point."

Meanwhile, as of the 3rd, the video has surpassed 2.18 million views.