[K-Women Talk] Reducing Childbirth Opportunity Costs for Young People Is Essential

Active Support Needed for Egg Freezing
So Women Do Not Have to Give Up Either Work or Parenting

The low birthrate issue is currently the greatest burden and challenge weighing down our society. Although the government plans to revise and announce new measures for low birthrate and aging, it is doubtful whether the worsening trend of low birthrate can be reversed. Since the low birthrate problem is not unique to our country but a global issue, discussions in the international community are diverse. Recently, an interesting topic emerged during discussions: at the APEC Summit held in the United States last November, alongside the Business Forum and APEC CEO Summit, the “APEC Smart Family Policy Options Report” was released. This report analyzed demographic changes such as low birthrate and aging in the APEC region and introduced and recommended health, labor, and fiscal policies related to pregnancy, childbirth, and infertility among member countries. One of the key points presented in this report is infertility support and preventive reproductive health management to guarantee the reproductive health rights of young people.

Typically, infertility support brings to mind assistance for infertile couples who have difficulty conceiving after marriage. However, in the context of international discussions, the focus is not only on married couples but also on proactively ensuring the reproductive health rights of young people, which aligns with the growing need for infertility egg-freezing support for unmarried women. According to data recently introduced by a major obstetrics and gynecology hospital, the number of egg-freezing cases among unmarried women increased dramatically from just 72 cases in 2015 to 1,194 cases in 2021, a 16-fold increase over six years. Since the cost of egg freezing typically ranges from 2 million to 5 million KRW, the financial burden is considerable. Nevertheless, the increase in egg freezing among unmarried women shows that many women have a strong desire to have children without giving up their careers. This egg freezing by unmarried women can be a very important low birthrate countermeasure in terms of preventing infertility in advance.

Due to high university enrollment rates and mandatory military service, the entry of Korean youth into the labor market is later than in other countries, usually in their late 20s or even early 30s. Therefore, the most demanding and busiest period at work is in the early to mid-30s, which is also commonly considered the prime age for marriage and child-rearing. Many women face the dilemma of having to choose between the two during this period. If they do not want to give up either, there is a growing tendency to postpone childbirth and parenting until their careers are established and their personal foundation is more secure. The recent advancement of egg freezing technology, which makes it possible to delay childbirth, is a very meaningful change. If the cycles of work life and personal life can be harmonized, satisfaction in both work and life can be greatly increased. Additionally, the need for egg freezing support for unmarried women is growing as a preventive measure against early menopause. However, government-level support for egg freezing among unmarried women has not yet been provided, and only recently has the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced plans to pilot support for unmarried women.

Facing the serious reality of a total fertility rate of 0.7, it is necessary to actively implement any policies that reduce the opportunity costs of childbirth and parenting for women who want to have children. As the working-age population decreases, raising the female employment rate from the current level of about 60% to the advanced country level of 70% is also an urgent task. Contrary to some misunderstandings, the female labor participation rate and fertility rate can both increase together depending on the social conditions for childbirth and parenting, as proven by examples from advanced countries. From this perspective, the state should actively support the efforts of young women who want to have children. Personally, I believe that efforts to extend the childbearing period, which means not giving up either work or parenting, should be actively encouraged and supported. It is time for the entire society to step up to reduce the opportunity costs of childbirth and parenting for our younger generation.

Chairman, Korea Retirement Pension Development Institute

Former Vice Minister of Gender Equality and Family

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