Lee Jae-myung: "Overcoming low birthrate won't work by just giving a rice cake as a reward for improvement"

"Creating an Environment for Childcare, Nurturing, and Education Is Fundamental to Low Birthrate Policy"

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, said, "Creating an environment where child-rearing, childcare, and education are possible no matter when or where a child is born should be the foundation and core of low birthrate policies."

On the 11th, Lee emphasized this in a Facebook post, stating, "Overcoming low birthrate by simply offering a rice cake for having more children is far from reality."

Lee shared a video of broadcaster Jung Sung-ho, known as a representative multi-child family in the entertainment industry, appearing on JTBC News to present his opinions on policies addressing low birthrate, saying, "I found myself at a loss when criticized for why things are done so poorly, but then agreeing because it was true."

Lee Jae-myung, Leader of the Democratic Party of Korea [Photo by National Assembly Press Photographers]

He said, "Comedian Jung Sung-ho, a father of five children, gave a harsh critique of desk-bound childcare support policies," and added, "I deeply agree with Jung Sung-ho's words that only when you have one child and feel it is worth raising can you consider having a second or third."

He then questioned, "How can people have children when they have to worry about their company's attitude once a baby is on the way?" and "Would anyone want to raise a child near an entertainment establishment close to an elementary school?"

He continued, "I believe that the more the state can alleviate the heavy responsibility of parenting from mothers and fathers, the more South Korea can overcome low birthrate and truly advance as a developed country," and said, "We will create realistic policies and improve systems so that bringing new life into the world becomes a blessing, not a sacrifice."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.