South Korea seeks solutions to deal with world's lowest birth rate

South Korea's demographic crisis deepened as new data showed the country's birth rate - already the world's lowest - fell to a new record low in 2023, despite billions of dollars spent by the South Korean government on policies to encourage families to have more children.

The average number of children a South Korean woman will have in her lifetime has fallen to 0.72, a far cry from 0.78 in 2022, according to preliminary data from Statistics Korea. This is the lowest rate in the world and far below the average of 2.1 children the East Asian country needs to maintain its current population of 51 million.

South Korea's birth rate in 2023 fell to 0.72 children per woman, lower than the world's lowest rate, also held by the country in 2023, of 0.78 children per woman - Photo: Guardian

With a record low birth rate that has lasted for years, South Korea is expected to become a super-aged society by 2025, when people over 65 will account for 20 percent of its 52 million population. By 2050, that segment could rise to nearly 44 percent of the population.

Moreover, Statistics Korea says that six out of 10 elderly people in the country are struggling with insufficient income. The number of elderly people living alone is also increasing.

Experts say it is important for the South Korean government to come up with policies that address the country's changing demographics and create more ways to improve the lives of older people. And some innovative ideas are already being put into practice.

Bringing the elderly back to… school

According to South Korea's records, about 3,800 elementary schools across the country have closed over the past 40 years due to declining enrollment, especially in rural areas.

Grandmothers happily go to elementary school with their grandchildren in South Korea - Photo: Al Jazeera

A school in Yangpyeong County, Kyunggi Province, the Gosung branch of Yangdong Elementary School, is actually out of students because there are almost no children left in the county.

By 1994, the school had only 14 students left as many locals moved to the city and household sizes began to shrink. It was eventually merged with Yangdong, a larger school in the county, becoming the Gosung branch of the school.

As the country's demographic crisis deepens, Gosung branch principal Hong Seok-jong comes up with the idea of ​​taking in seniors as students.

“I realized that there might be some old ladies in this village who had never been to school, so I thought it would be better if we enrolled them. I went around the village and there were people who said they would like to attend the school if they could,” he told CNA.

South Korea's fertility rate (blue line) is much lower than the global average (orange line) and the group of high-income countries (dashed line). South Korea has had one of the lowest fertility rates in the world for many years when compared to other countries. The chart in the image is based on 2021 data, the latest globally comparable data provided by the World Bank. Graphic: Reuters

Four grandmothers enrolled in 2021, starting first grade along with 13 grandchildren. Among them was 82-year-old Yoon Ok-ja, who never had the chance to go to school as a child. “I can only write my name and nothing else. In my generation, I was 9 years old when the Korean War broke out. During the Korean War, my mother, younger brother and older sister all died. Only my father, younger sister and I survived. Just the three of us,” Yoon said.

In South Korea, girls were not typically educated until decades ago. Instead, they helped their parents make a living or stayed home to care for younger siblings while their parents worked. As a result, many of Yoon’s generation were left out of school.

Another “student,” Chung Soon-duk, also 82, said she was happy to finally be able to go to school, something she had not been able to do as a young woman because she was busy working on a farm. “I started my first year, and now I wonder how I would have lived the past three years if I had not gone to school,” she said.

Principal Hong Seok-jong said the happiness and satisfaction the older students felt was unexpected. “They told me, ‘I’m so happy,’ and they didn’t realize they could be that happy. When I heard those words, I realized we had made the right decision,” Hong said.

Step up… the catwalk

While the Gosung School model is being encouraged to be replicated, there is another interesting model in the fashion industry: the Korea Senior Models Association is offering training programs for people in their 70s and 80s, giving them the opportunity to walk the catwalk.

"Supermodels" in their 70s and 80s in Korea - Photo: SCMP

For two hours a week, seniors who want to get into the fashion scene meet at a nonprofit founded about seven years ago.

The minimum age to become a student here is 45 and participants receive formal training on the catwalk, although many consider it a hobby to stay active and healthy.

The initiative allows elderly Koreans like Park Woo-hee, in her 70s, to fulfill her catwalk dreams.

“I can’t be a model because I’m not tall enough. I’ve always wanted to do this since I was a student. Now is the time to do it. Even though I’m short, I can still be a model. All you need is passion,” Ms. Park shared.

Ha Yoon Jeong, 84, who also participated in a recent fashion show and joined the association about a year ago, told CNA that the activity makes her feel motivated to wake up every morning.

“It’s great. When I do this, I feel stronger, younger and more comfortable. It’s not easy for mothers like me to do this, but my daughter introduced it to me and I really like it,” she said.

Coach Kim Moo-young, a former model, said that at first it was not easy for him to train students in their 70s and 80s due to the age gap between them.

“It was psychologically difficult. But when I taught these seniors, I found that they were much more passionate and their willingness to learn was much higher than that of the younger students. It was like we had rekindled a fire in them,” Kim said.

The coach also said he gradually adjusted his teaching methods and reduced the intensity of the training during the nine-month course to achieve the best results.

Kim said it was unfortunate that there was not much demand for older models in Korea, unlike in the West, where people in their 60s and 70s can still make a name for themselves on the catwalk. Otherwise, his elderly trainees would have a chance to make money because they “perform really well.”

Nguyen Khanh (according to CNA, Reuters)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/doi-mat-voi-ty-le-sinh-thap-nhat-the-gioi-han-quoc-tim-giai-phap-song-vui-cho-nguoi-gia-post286086.html