2024-05-10 15:02:16
South Korea plans to create a ministry to combat low birth rates. This was stated by the President of the Republic, Yun Seok Yeol, according to the NDTV channel, Day.Az reports with reference to Gazeta.ru.
“I ask parliament for cooperation in reviewing the organization of government to create a ministry to combat low birth rates,” he said in a direct address to the nation.
Despite the efforts made by the authorities, the birth rate in South Korea has been falling markedly in recent years – despite the fact that the government has already spent large sums of money trying to solve demographic difficulties.
“To overcome the low birth rate, which can be considered a national emergency, we will fully mobilize all the capabilities of the state,” President Yoon Seok-yeol said.
Currently, South Korea belongs to the group of countries with the highest life expectancy while the birth rate is decreasing. The fertility rate (the number of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime) has dropped to 0.72, although a fertility rate of 2.1 is needed to maintain population levels at current levels. According to expert forecasts, at the current rate of decline, by 2100 the population of the republic will be reduced to 25 million people from the current 51 million.