Despite government efforts, including a massive $200 billion investment in birth incentives, South Korea’s population is resisting the idea of having children. Recently, South Korea reached a new record for the lowest fertility rate in the world. Data released in November revealed that the average number of children per South Korean woman has dropped to 0.79 over her lifetime. This figure is significantly below the 2.1 needed to maintain a stable population and is even lower than rates recorded in other developed countries, such as the United States (1.6) and Japan, which hit its lowest-ever rate of 1.3.

This decline in fertility poses challenges for South Korea, especially due to its aging population and the looming shortage of workers to support the pension system. While the causes are often linked to economic factors such as high housing prices, educational costs, and financial anxiety, the problem has proven resistant to successive governments’ attempts to address it, even with significant investments.

Critics argue that this issue transcends the economy and requires a shift in approach. However, it remains uncertain whether the government is willing to listen and act on this challenge.

During a visit to a daycare center in September, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol admitted that over $200 billion had been spent trying to boost the population over the past 16 years. However, since taking office in May, his government has presented few ideas to solve the problem beyond continuing the same strategy—creating a committee to discuss the issue and promising even more financial support for newborns. A monthly subsidy for parents with babies up to 1 year old will increase from the current 300,000 won to 700,000 won ($230 to $540) in 2023 and to 1 million won ($770) by 2024, according to Yoon’s government.

During his visit to the nursery, Yoon expressed surprise that babies and young children were not being cared for at home and seemed to suggest that it was common for 6-month-old babies to be able to walk, leading to criticism that he is out of touch with the issue (the average age for babies to start walking is 12 months).

Many experts believe that the current money-throwing approach is too one-dimensional and that what is needed instead is continuous support throughout the child’s life.

Visiting booths at a recent baby fair was Kim Min-jeong. She criticized the government’s promise of more funds, saying, “They changed the names and merged the benefits, but for parents like us, there are no additional advantages.”

The problem she faces, she said, is that she has been unable to work since her first child was born because she and her husband cannot afford private daycare.

Government-funded daycare centers are free, but a handful of scandals in recent years involving caregivers who abused babies have driven many parents away. Although the cases have been minimal, they were widely publicized.

Beyond economic challenges, deeply rooted social issues are also deterring future parents in South Korea, and these problems are likely to persist regardless of financial efforts.

One such issue is the existence of unwritten norms around parenthood. While couples having children is highly valued, South Korean society still strongly disapproves of single parents. Single women do not have access to in vitro fertilization treatment, according to official hospital data.

Law professor Cho Hee-kyoung, who addresses social issues in his newspaper column, notes that a puritanical mindset towards single mothers persists in South Korean society. He questions why getting pregnant outside of marriage is seen as a mistake, challenging the necessity of marriage to raise a child.

Moreover, couples in non-traditional relationships also face discrimination. South Korea does not recognize same-sex marriage, and regulations make it difficult for unmarried couples to adopt.

Lee Jin-song, author of books on the trend of young people avoiding marriage and parenthood, highlights the need for birth rate policies that embrace a broader range of family structures. He notes that current policies tend to favor the traditional idea of heterosexual marriage, excluding people with disabilities, illnesses, or reproductive health issues.

Lee pointed to a common joke in South Korea: “If you’re not dating by the age of 25, you will become a crane,” meaning that if you’re single, you’ll become non-human. She noted that society labels people like her as selfish for not following traditional expectations of marriage and children, “neglecting their duties to society just for the sake of their happiness.”

Lee emphasized the pressures on women to have children in a patriarchal society that is evolving slowly. “Marriage, childbirth, and childcare demand many sacrifices from women in a patriarchal society, especially over the past decade. So, they are starting to explore the possibility of living well without getting married.”

Professor Cho agreed, noting that there remains a social expectation for the father to sacrifice for his career while the mother supports the family, even if she also works. “I know many couples where the women earn more money than the men, but when they get home, it’s the women who have to do the housework, care for the children, and provide emotional support to their husbands.”

Meanwhile, husbands who wish to be more involved in child-rearing face obstacles due to South Korea’s corporate culture, which does not always allow for such flexibility. Although parental leave has been extended on paper, few feel comfortable taking full advantage of it.

There is a widespread fear that workers who prioritize family are rarely recognized or promoted. “It would be positive if companies considered employees with children, excluding them from evening events or dinners, for example,” said one interviewee.

In South Korea, work does not end when office hours are over. There is an ingrained culture of “after-work socializing,” and missing these events is frowned upon.

Lee, who worked at a brokerage firm before founding her own company, chose to leave the workforce seven years ago, feeling there was no viable alternative to balance her career with raising children, as she did not want to place them in daycare.

“Raising a child is something very valuable, meaningful, and rewarding on a personal level, but sometimes it feels like it’s not properly valued in society,” Lee observed.