[Reporter’s Notebook] Population Day in a Country of Absurdities

"Isn't this terribly wrong? You had four kids and got selected for the housing subscription? The government should give it to you for free."

Recently, broadcaster A said this on a program about housing when a fellow celebrity mentioned having four children and winning a multi-child housing subscription. Although somewhat exaggerated, in a country with a total fertility rate of 0.78, having four children and only now securing housing raises some doubts.

The government and local governments held 'Population Day' events around the 11th. The events mostly consisted of celebratory performances and awarding those who led efforts to overcome low birth rates. Regardless of political orientation, there is no time for the nation to painfully reflect on its failure to solve the low birth rate problem. It is ironic that a day created to commemorate the world population surpassing 5 billion in 1987 is celebrated like a festival in a country with the lowest birth rate.

Outside the event venues, an unprecedented 'bizarre situation' is unfolding due to the severe low birth rate. There are already 13 small cities with populations under 30,000, considered the critical threshold for local extinction. Without drastic measures, these cities will soon disappear. Local governments fiercely compete to attract even a small government office, engaging in a zero-sum game to take population from other regions.

Although children should be cherished more than ever, reality is different. According to Workplace Gapjil 119, one in three workers and over half of non-regular workers feel pressured about taking maternity leave. Among workers earning less than 1.5 million won per month, 65.3% responded that they cannot freely use maternity leave. Admission to daycare centers in the metropolitan area is nearly impossible, and childcare and parenting costs are among the highest in the world. Housing prices go without saying.

Yet, there are no government measures that citizens can truly feel. In the private sector, an employee who gave birth to quadruplets reportedly received 20 million won in cash, a 9-seater vehicle, childcare products worth 2 million won, and child care services. The group chairman personally visited the employee's home to offer congratulations. In contrast, the government's announced measures so far amount to "using inefficient budgets more efficiently." Whether cash or otherwise, if money is needed for marriage, childbirth, and parenting, it should be poured in and the system overhauled immediately, but this remains distant.

During the Joseon Dynasty, King Sejong guaranteed female slaves 100 days of rest after childbirth. If triplets were born, the state gifted 1,000 kg (about 7 seok) of rice and beans. If the birth policies of a population-growing nation 600 years ago were this substantial, the worst population-extinction country in history must present faster and more bold birth policies.

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