Can South Korea lift the world’s lowest birth rate by offering cash incentives?

The country’s total fertility rate has dropped to just 0.84, a world low and one that has policymakers worried enough to give incentives to couples to have babies

But Korean couples are put off by the high cost of raising children, and are unlikely to be swayed by the government’s offer of US$1,826 per birth starting in 2022

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Nurses taking care of newborns at a birthing care centre in Seoul. Photo: SCMP

Published: 7:00pm, 27 Dec 2020Updated: 9:15pm, 27 Dec 2020

Kim Seung-pyo, 33, and Do Ara, 31, recently celebrated their first wedding anniversary. With a house and stable jobs, it may seem like the right time for them to start a family, and Kim has always dreamed of having at least three children. However, they have no plans to buy a cot any time soon.

“I have always loved being around children, but marriage has really given me a taste of reality,” said Kim, who works as a delivery driver. “We are barely making ends meet, so we question our ability to raise a child today.”

There’s also the question of who will take care of the baby, as both work. “Our families expect my wife to be the housewife and caregiver, but she also needs to maintain her work life,” he said.

Do Ara and Kim Seung-pyo. The couple is considering having a single child, but are prepared to live without one at all. Photo: Handout

Do is a kindergarten teacher, but is currently studying for a degree in counselling, with the aim of finding a job with better employee benefits such as parental leave.

For now, the two have talked about having just a single child. But the truth is they are also prepared to live without one at all – and they are not the only ones in South Korea to hold off on plans for a baby or to completely eliminate the thought of one.

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