Korean Women Journalists Association Holds 2nd Korea-Japan Women Journalists Forum... Seeking Solutions to Low Birthrate

Broad Discussion on Low Birthrate Reality and Government Policies
Female Journalists and Experts from Both Countries Gather... Exploring the Role of Media

Korean and Japanese female journalists and experts gathered in one place to jointly seek solutions to the low birthrate issue.

The Korean Women Journalists Association (President Ha Im-sook) held the "2nd Korea-Japan Women Journalists Forum" on the 25th at 10 a.m. at the President Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, under the theme "Low Birthrate Crisis, Finding Solutions Together." Participants discussed various topics including the current status of low birthrates in both countries, implications of government policies, diversity and inclusiveness through changing family structures, and the role of media in addressing low birthrates.

Photo by Dong-A Ilbo reporter Lee Ji-mi, giving a lecture at the '2nd Korea-Japan Women Journalists Forum' held on the 25th at the President Hotel in Seoul.

In the first part, female journalists from both countries with multiple children analyzed evaluations and implications of childbirth policies based on their experiences. Lee Mi-ji, a reporter from Dong-A Ilbo representing Korea, who is raising four children aged 6 to 12, pointed out the shortcomings of low birthrate measures. She said, "The pregnancy and childbirth voucher support amount doubled from around 500,000 won in 2012 to about 1 million won in 2022, and there are benefits such as special housing supply, but Korea’s total fertility rate recently ranked last overwhelmingly among OECD countries," adding, "Various support measures have been concentrated only from childbirth to early childhood, and the burden of private education expenses is excessively high."

Maiko Oda, an editorial board member of Nikkei Cross Women representing Japan, who has three children aged 7 to 19, also stated, "The situation in Japan is similar." Editor Oda pointed out, "Despite various efforts by local governments and companies such as lump-sum payments at childbirth, free medical care for children, and increased parental leave pay rates, Japan’s total fertility rate last year was only 1.20 due to a decrease in regular employment and an increase in unmarried and late marriages."

The second part examined the issue that although family forms are diversifying due to the increase in single-person households and accelerated social participation of women, society has not been able to accommodate this. Kim Hee-kyung, visiting professor at Kangwon National University, pointed out that Korean families are undergoing unprecedented changes and increasing diversity, but rigid family systems, discrimination against unmarried childbirth, and gender gaps within families are accelerating the low birthrate. Professor Kim suggested, "Efforts are needed to eliminate discrimination based on family forms and institutionally accept various families such as life partner relationships so that forming a family can be a choice toward happiness rather than a risk," and added, "Improvements in the family environment, such as gender equality within the home and reduction of long working hours, must be made."

Satoko Onuki, a reporter from Asahi Shimbun, shared the phenomenon of secret childbirth (protected childbirth) in Japan based on her field reporting experience. She explained the situation where the responsibility for unwanted pregnancies is placed solely on women and introduced cases of hospitals implementing their own protected childbirth systems. Reporter Onuki criticized, "In Japan, where married women must change their surname to their husband's, the non-introduction of a system allowing married women to choose their own surname, as well as gender wage gaps and other discriminations, are causes of the low birthrate."

Finally, the forum examined the role media should play in the era of low birthrates. Yoo Soo-jung, a researcher at KBS Public Media Research Institute, revealed through analysis of KBS national panel surveys and BigKinds data that there is a gap between the perceptions of the youth generation, who are the core stakeholders of the low birthrate issue, and media coverage. Eriko Yamawaki, deputy editor-in-chief of Kyodo News, pointed out that while government economic support for parenting households is important, gender gap resolution is necessary, citing Kyodo News as a successful example.

Im-sook Lee, associate professor in the Department of Communication and Culture at Otsuma Women’s University, emphasized, "In Korea, the low birthrate issue is deeply connected with structural problems such as gender division of labor, gender inequality in hiring, promotion, and wages, long working hours, a dual labor market of regular and irregular workers, and a distorted private education market," and stressed, "Media should conduct in-depth coverage of these structural problems and induce the formation of public discourse for problem-solving."

The forum was attended by about 100 female journalists and experts from both countries, including Joo Hyung-hwan, Vice Chairman of the Low Fertility and Aging Society Commission, Kim Hyo-jae, Chairman of the Korea Press Foundation, and Jeff Robinson, Australian Ambassador to Korea.

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