Why aren’t young South Koreans having babies?

Despite the Korean government expending trillions of Korean won to introduce pronatalist policy initiatives since 2005, South Korea’s total fertility rate (TFR) remains the lowest in the world. Fertility scholars have long attributed factors such as precarious economic conditions, the surge of women’s education and participation in the labour market, and longstanding traditional values to the country’s deteriorating fertility rate. However, there is a dearth of literature concerning the extent to which cultural and gendered issues influence Koreans’ decisions regarding childbirth, specifically among younger generations. 

This presentation aims to identify how we can approach answering these identified gaps in the literature. The proposed approach to investigating the attitudes held by young generations of Koreans towards marriage and childbirth, and the factors that contribute to their decision-making, will be described. A qualitative approach is proposed by conducting semi-structured interviews to explore the possible gendered, social, and political factors that influence decision-making. This session will serve as the confirmation of candidature for Jun's doctoral research.

Jun Kim is a first-year PhD student at the Australian National University in the School of Demography. Her research investigates fertility in South Korea, with a particular focus on how gendered issues shape individuals’ decisions around childbirth. This work aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of demographic trends and their broader societal implications in Korea.

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