@@zfranke3domehow is it so difficult to understand, people do other things than just go shopping. Even if they buy frivolous things it will never be infinite.
That fact that Busan, the 2nd largest city, is at risk of collapse due to depopulation is truly terrifying. Government better figure out a way to decentralize the job market, top universities, earning opportunity from Seoul and QUICKLY. The rural era is absolutely beautiful. It's heartbreaking
If only companies allow 100% remote work for office workers, I'd gladly move out to a small town or a village as long as the internet connection there is good enough. I'm tired of the noise pollution, higher cost of living in a big city anyway..
I can say as an international teacher who worked all over korea.... same internet speeds are everywhere, literally. I lived in big, small cities, villages and north, sd south, east, west coast.
The pressure young people are under to succeed is so strong. Not every student will get into a top university. The mental health of those that don’t make it is really sad.
Only woke people complain about this. These kinds of pressure are fine and helps the country a lot overall. Especially countries like Korea/Japan who have no resources.
I had to agree since I traveled through South Korea recently. Even in Busan the second largest city in South Korea the amount of elderly people compared to Seoul is staggering.
I was there for 10 days 3 weeks ago and noticed there were so many elderly people, too. I love the elderly, so we had some conversations. Actually, they initiated it asking about my children and I. It was heartwarming. One said to me... See you later, and she had my heart...lol. She was like a great aunt. We are returning next summer for 3 weeks.
@@yonggeun4222No, because all opportunities and most money are at Seoul. If South Korean want to reduce the urban, they should build and bring those opportunities to other city too. Make big companies with big employees move their head quarters to smaller cities, can be a start.
@@hills863 well can they build companies and other stuff in other cities then? can seriously can busan and jonrado people stop coming to seoul and just stay whereever youre from?
I doubt in the US or many other countries like my own (Australia) that the government is running them for what is in the best interests of the people, economic interests/greed tends to take priority, migration is the silver bullet but does not fix the country or why people have few children.
@@janewick1082The border isn't open. That is right wing nonsense used to fear monger against minorities so people don't see the real enemy. The wealthy. The US doesn't have a declining birthrate either. It's increasing exponentially and the US is the third most populated country in the world. Impoverished people are still having kids in the US when they shouldn't. We should be making a stand by not having kids. The rich want more workers and consumers? Pay us better and lower the cost of living. Sadly, people in the US will keep pumping out more slaves with nothing in return.
when a nation focus on purely gdp growth in a capitalistic global economy, this is the result. Things like family, dating and work/life balance policies are not being made a priority. If you want people to have children then you have to make having a family easier in cities/country ( healthcare, good education, economic stability and alleviating the burden of children).
That is not what is making the birth rate in South Korea and the rest of the developing world collapse. It's the inter gender dynamics between men and women where women are now expected and encouraged by the state to pursue higher education, career and going up the corporate ladder instead or having getting married early and having family. That combined with the shift from a gold backed currency onto ta fiat currency which has made the cost of living and inflation go through the roof, while making Rich incredibly rich and the poor barely able to survive even on 2 incomes while 3 or 4 generations ago even a single income was enough to support the average family.
@israel_illuminati_Rothschildstandard of living =/= quality of living. Japan also has a high standard of living but everyone is overworked and underpaid
@israel_illuminati_Rothschild The standard of living in general is high but to have that you have to work a lot, so there's not much time for raising a family. But at least that's achievable. To provide a high standard of living for someone else (e.g., a child or two) is near impossible for most people.
They have tried that but all failed, new cities pop up and they get expensive so fast, it simply doesn't work. Maybe they have to start taking extreme measures like fixing housing otherwise I don't see anything changing.
They tried and failed. SeJong was supposed secondary capital where they'd move the Blue House/government too. They figured out moving the central government was too difficult and government employees/officials didn't even want to move because obviously those with children want their kids in Seoul with the best reputable education options. People don't like the SeJong because of its uncanny too clean artificial feeling. Even the locals go to DaeJeon for fun and nightlife. Unless you live in a dystopian dictatorship, you really can't control the natural flow of what society wants or likes.
South Korea, has a declining population, but they refuse to change legislation to protect women, the very people responsible for giving birth to kids. Why would I give birth to a kid if I knew that I could not get another job if I left my job, or that I would be discriminated against if I got pregnant? The government refuses to look at the fundamental issue but will give out a $1000 bonus, which is a month's salary if that. Plus, the toxic work culture and the intense social hierarchy mean that young people cannot get ahead despite talent, but the government is scratching their heads about why people are not having kids. It's laughable. Finally, there is the racism that people face in South Korea. Most ageing populations use migration to get immigrants to move to the country and have kids, but Korea is so homogenous and there is intense racism, especially towards poorer Asian countries.
All of that. I've read a lot of Korean women perspectives on blogs and websites about how they as women are treated as compared to males. They have done this to themselves to be fair. So many issues as to what is going on and not one Cork in the pipeline to fix the most important issues and causes
The largest number of foreigners in Korea are Chinese followed by Southeast Asians. The highest number of illegal immigrants is from Southeast Asia, Thailand at 36%, Vietnamese at 18%. If life in Korea was that bad it wouldn't be like that. And the foreign women that Korean men most marry are Vietnamese. They also often marry Filipinos and Thais. ----- Status of Foreign Residents by Nationality (Region) (2024.06.30.) Source: SK Gov Total 2,612,328 Chinese 952,254 Korean Chinese (635,215) Vietnamese 307,487 Thai 190,608 American 190,335 Uzbek 90,800 Russians (Federal) 71,010 Nepalese 68,282 Filipinos 68,250 Indonesian 62,747 Cambodians 62,534 Mongolian 55,802 Kazakhs 45,675 Myanmar 48,569 Japanese 48,567 (Taiwanese) 43,287 Sri Lankans 33,561 Canadians 29,332 Bangladeshis 28,689 Pakistani 17,393 Indian 17,037 Australians 14,001 Malaysians 10,148 Kyrgyzstan 11,084 Other 144,876 ----- Status of Foreign Residents by Nationality (Continent) (2023.12.31.) Total 2,507,584 Asia 2,147,186 North America 189,502 South America 9,021 Europe 113,045 Oceania 24,221 Africa 24,334 ----- Status of illegal immigrants (2024.06.) Total foreigners staying 2,612,328 illegal immigrants 414,730 Illegal stay rate 15.9% ----- Status of illegal immigrants by Nationality (2022.8.22.) Source: SK gov Total 388,700 (100%) Thailand 142,677 (36.7) China 63,113 (16.2) Vietnam 70,411 (18.1) Mongolia 15,969 (4.1) Philippines 13,613 (3.5) Russia 9,486 (2.4) Kazakhstan 9,768 (2.5) Indonesia 9,142 (2.4) Uzbekistan 9,167 (2.4) Cambodia 8,751 (2.3) Others 36,603 (9.4)
International Marriage Statistics of South Korea Source: SK Gov 2022 Total number of international marriages 16,666 Korean man + foreign woman 12,007 Vietnam 3,319 China 2,282 Thailand 1,932 United States 600 Japan 599 Philippines 509 Cambodia 422 Other 2,344 Korean women + foreign men 4,659 United States 1,380 China 750 Vietnam 586 Canada 310 United Kingdom 166 Australia 151 Other 1,316 - Marriages with foreigners were 17,000 an increase of 27.2%(4,000) from the previous year. The proportion of marriages with foreigners among all marriages was 8.7% an increase of 1.9% from the previous year. - The nationalities of foreign wives were Vietnamese(27.6%), Chinese(19.0%) and Thai(16.1%). The nationalities of foreign husbands were American(29.6%), Chinese(16.1%) and Vietnamese (12.6%). ---------- Status of Spouses of Nationals(Married Immigrants) Gender Status by Nationality (2024.06.30.) Source: SK gov Total 178,163 (100%) Male 35,065 (19.7%) Female 143,098 (80.3%) Chinese 60,281 (33.8%) Male 14,062 Female 46,219 Korean Chinese 21,172 Male 8,237 Female 12,935 Vietnamese 41,028 (23.0%) Male 4,754 Female 36,274 Japanese 15,930 (8.9%) Male 1,313 Female 14,617 Filipino 12,687 (7.1%) Male 625 Female 12,062 Thai 9,181 (5.2%) Male 142 Female 9,039 American 5,208 (2.7%) Male 3,523 Female 1,685 Cambodian 4,856 (2.8%) Male 852 Female 4,004 Other 28,992 (16.3%) Male 9,794 Female 19,198 - Marriage Naturalizations (Cumulative) 2018 129,028 2019 135,056 2020 141,773 2021 148,118 2022 154,926 2023 161,357 2024.06. 163,357 - Nationality By the end of June this year, there were 6,205 people who acquired Korean citizenship. The types of nationality acquisition are naturalization for 4,736 people and nationality restoration for 1,469 people. Among naturalized people 2,882(60.9%) were from China and 1,192(25.2%) were from Vietnam. ----- - FYI There are many Korean-Chinese and Chinese people in Korea and there are people who have become naturalized Koreans and are marrying Chinese people. - There are many Vietnamese women who have married Korean men with a large age difference and some of them divorced after naturalization using a marriage visa and remarried Vietnamese men.
"The toxic work culture and intense social hierarchy" I truly felt this line, even if you want to learn further at work, but they set boundaries to young people who strives harder and become better, that's why I'm thinking of searching another opportunities to become better and leave all the bs behind
@@unknown5624 and @shristi1970 women are disadvantaged in multiple ways. Back in the 60s, 70s and 80s parents wanted to have boys over girls because the belief that only a boy can pass on the family name. Lots of stories (and I'm not sure how much it's true) of abortions and infanticide when parents find out they are having a girl. The country has to pass a law saying that doctors could not tell parents the gender of the baby until a certain point of the pregnancy. If the baby was a girl guess who got blamed. I was married to a Korean woman and her family has three daughters, a curse of sorts some would say (to clarify I do not think that way). Women are demeaned and do not have the same rights as men. Yes, men have to go to mandatory military service for 2 1/2 years, but even that amount of time doesn't make up for a crap they go through with marriage and having kids. As far as illegal immigrants in Korea, that has been a problem for quite awhile and I believe there is a bounty for turning them in to Korean Immigration. People from those top 5 countries on the list have difficulties getting a visa because immigration has to strengthen the rules for visas. In terms of marriage migrants (mail order brides) most of them come from that list as well. It shocks me that it is still happening in the 21st century. For many of the SE Asian countries men still have to pay a dowry to marry a woman which is negotiated with the bride's family and can be as much as $10,000. Men who are in rural areas or disabled often have their wife "bought" for them. Source: I have lived in Asia for over 20 years and also read quite a bit Korea and Asian countries as well as traveled to many countries.
The hierarchy is to blame. 23% successful. 23% failures. Everyone else just struggling. You are your rank in school, the house you live in, the family you have or don’t have, you are the neighborhood you live in. Strongly responsible is the government telling everyone to stop having kids from 1960 on ward. Mandatory military and college for all made everyone postpone family 4-6 years and delay fertility. The older you are when you start a family the fewer children you have, if at all. In 1980 they got to 2.0. They worked everyone to death, no family life. But they kept going. Then in addition the kids ended up in mandatory study until all hours. No one grew up with family. Instead they grew up living off mom and dad until their 30’s. Who wants to support a kid until the kid’s 30’s? The country got greedy with irrational growth. Before you were poor if you could not afford the school fee. Now school is free, lunches free, rice abundant and everyone has several pairs of shoes but it’s too expensive. The only thing that helped delay population decline is elders started to live until 80 instead of 60. Or they would have seen the effects in the 90’s.
It's crazy, but countries around europe are implementing final tests in elementeries now that will decide your highschool, heavily forcing kids at such age to perform well if they want to go where they wish to go and it's not like you are entering for cambridge or oxford or any other major school. just crazy.
@@kenim the only thing that really makes South Korea dystopian is the CCTV cameras everywhere. On the bright side I can walk anywhere in Seoul at midnight or 1 am and no one will bother me (I'm also a tall white guy so that probably gives me better odds). I've lived here for 20+ years and honestly that is the only real example I can give.
This looks like it's a global issue. I'm in my late thirties and always thought by now I'd have children and a home of my own. I don't, and can't forsee if I can in the near future. I just don't earn enough. How can I dare to dream of a family when I can barely even look after myself? It's so disheartening that now my dream is to get through life quietly, pass in peace, and hope to never, ever come back to this place.
@m00secat thank you for sharing your experience and perspective. I worry a lot about generations younger than me as I also struggled so much to start a family. I want to send you encouragement that finding someone to build a life together with is possible and an amazing thing. You don't need to have everything to start life and a family. A life is meant to be shared, a family can be two people or 10 people. I hope you find a person who can share your burdens and happy moments together.
Well sometimes you want a family but something is not right with our food supply, environment.... Making it more difficult to get pregnant. IVF is not guaranteed to work and so expensive and most insurance will not cover it. It's ridiculous that it's not covered and costs so much in the US.
My mom's from Busan, the busiest port and 2nd largest city in South Korea, and even she moved north to Seoul for more opportunity. Seoul is draining the rest of Korea out.
Nowhere in this video did it talk about the fact that there are basically 3 pediatric surgeons in all of South Korea, and very few pediatric doctors, period. Babies and small kids die while waiting to be seen by doctors or while being transported to larger cities during a medical emergency. If the government really wanted to do something about the birth rate, they would get past the doctor strike to push for more pediatric doctors to be matriculated, and then they would INCENTIVIZE population shifts to these abandoned area. Offer grants and move 1,000 people at a time back into these struggling rural towns. But nobody will have kids or move back if there is no healthcare system.
That can't be right can it only 3 pediatricians for the entire country of Korea? That's a dire situation that would shut down entire hospital wards even in Seoul that's not enough surgeons . It's another barrier to making people want to have kids. I hope you're not right about there being only 3 pediatric surgeons in Korea. you're offered solution sounds so reasonable/
@@28naveenator27van From what i've seen, from videos of people in South Korea talking about this topic They work 80+ hours per week and their pay is quite poor, not just for pediatricians but for other specialists too, such as doctors adding onto this. Most of the jobs are really only located in Seoul Couple that with societal pressures + The expensive living cost of South Korea And you have a melting pot that is South korea's population Crisis.
If that is true, that would really scare me. 3 pediatric surgeons? is that general surgical peds? or they also have sub-specs? if that is the number of pediatric surgeons, i'm wondering now on pediatric dentists as well as developmental pediatricians... i mean, i can't toot my own horn. my country still needs to increase their developmental pediatrics doctors, but they are trying their best. it's scary to raise a child if that's just the number of pediatricians in the country you're living in... Edit: checked Google, it says in koreabiomed that there are 35 pediatric surgeons in SK... that's still sooooooo little.
This migration to the capital is nothing new. Same thing is happening to Tokyo and Jakarta. In China, people migrate to tier-1 cities leaving the villages empty.
Nah south Korea are extrem case Greater Seoul = 55% south Korea population Greater Busan = 8% south Korea population Greater Tokyo = 28% japan population Greater Osaka = 15% Japan population Greater Nagoya = 9% Japan population Greater jakarta = 12,5% Indonesia population Greater Surabaya = 3,6% Indonesia population Greater bandung = 3,2% Indonesia population
U can see Seoul metro area have 7x population compare to Busan, when Tokyo metro area population only 2x more than Osaka metro area and jakarta metro area population 3,5x more than Surabaya metro area
Kind of, but not entirely true. China has way more places that are economically prosperous. Five tier 1 cities, and 20 some tier 2 cities. If you’ve been to these cities, you would find out they are all more urbanized and grandeur than Seoul
Singapore is heading there as well and deservingly so. Giving baby bonus is not effective when managements and Singapore companies are incentivised to give “poor performance” grading as a guise to working parents with care giving responsibilities whom needs to take paternity or childcare leaves to care for their very young and very old. In other words, the baby bonus given by government is INDIRECTLY being transferred to companies as “COST SAVINGS” since they do not need to pay working parents whom just gave birth any bonus…
@@Strik3Fr33dom2 JB maybe not so much if Malaysians commute daily to instead of move to Singapore, though we have the other challenge of crowded border crossings (I read of some cleaners who sleep only 3h daily due to the time they spend commuting). Also heard though that since blue-collar work in Singapore may pay more than white-collar ones in Malaysia, some people in Malaysia may thus find higher education to be less useful
In Laos, we don't have this problem. The wife stays home to take care of children. The husbands go to work in the city. After the kids are teenagers, the wife goes back to work. Life is good.
Korea started manufacturing their stuff in China, Vietnam and Philippines...eliminating the manufacturing jobs that existed in cities like Daegu, Pohang and Gwangju. Seoul is so insanely overcrowded with 26 of the 52 million population all living in the metro area.
They do, Busan, Samsung, Ulsan, Hyundai engineering, etc etc, just that other than those companies, the big banks, FIs, education, etc etc are all in Seoul.
South Korea is a state created by USA, it is also under complete economic control of USA the chaebols of South Korea transfer some of the wealth they get from Korea to USA, so the economy is structured in such a way that the few chaebols wealth will exponentially explode creating a real estate bubble in the capital helps in this cause
70% of voters are over 40 years old As a 70 year old politician You will provide policies that benefit older people.Such as increasing taxes for young people to give as pension money and improving health for older people.
@@marcozegikniet9301 young people take care of themselves because they have the energy. Unless a young person is crippled, there’s no reason he shouldn’t be able to take himself to the toilet without help which is not the case with old people
This is a time when people should explore alternative ways of living rather than sticking to traditional paths. I believe that the current trend of pursuing corporate careers and living in expensive cities may not be the most fulfilling. Instead, individuals should consider returning to smaller towns and villages to build a different, more meaningful life
That's not the way parents and society raised these kids. Globally. Not to be extreme but more generations are basically sheep. They are taught to not question and follow a string of policies by the schools and governments. Also with such high stakes and a ever growing nihlism and despair about the future for the world's youth, taking such risks won't appeal to them like that.
This is happening in all developed nations. As manufacturing, farming and trade jobs disappear...everyone goes to the city for banking, engineering and government jobs while the middle class and lower class go to service the upper class as drivers, servers and retail. And city people do not have as many kids as rural and the vicious cycle goes round and round.
Though Korea & Japan still have a sizable manufacturing industry though (almost 30% of GDP?) with factories being further away from larger cities e.g. I think Busan is home to S Korea's biggest shipbuilders
korean parents must understand that not all child are born intelligent. i mean take me for example i always wanted to work on software but i cant code no matter what. it's all about acceptance and not pushing people to depression just because they are not as good as the blessed people working in top companies
Similar to other places, business districts in the Philippines are concentrated in Metro Manila. This centralization drives people from the provinces to migrate to Manila in search of opportunities, leading to skyrocketing prices for goods and housing, severe traffic congestion, widespread pollution, and an overburdened transportation system that struggles to accommodate the daily influx of commuters. The challenges I’ve mentioned are just the tip of the iceberg-there's much more beneath the surface, including issues like crime and poverty.
@@shaider1982 New Clark isn't enough. I think the admins should remove the provincial rate, and remove the red tape when it comes to starting a business. With that Idea in mind Jobs well spread out without needing to start a city from scratch.
Phils have intellectually talented resources, world class. Its got very good laws n business incentives as well. What it sorely lacks is Good Governance.😢
Not the same, South Korea and Japan are dying in the rural areas and are just consolidating in their major cities. It is but natural that people wanting to come out ahead go where the oppurtunities are but even the most distant or remotest places in the Philippines have people, both young and old, in them. People are still having babies by the bundle and a lot are content in their home provinces.
Very interesting report. Here in Taiwan, the pull toward Taipei isn't so strong, in part because of the science parks in Hsinchu, Taichung, and Tainan.
But the infrastructure and public transportation in hsinchu is so much behind than taipei. with the high house rent and high tech high income its really disappointed
I know a Cambodian lady that married a Korean and is desperately trying to raise their daughter as korean as much as possible. Several years back, she bought her daughter to Cambodia to meet her extended family. The girl picked up some Khmer phrases and used it in school. The teacher overheard it and summoned her mother to school for a meeting. The meeting was nothing more than a scold down for allowing her daughter to learn Khmer. This lady is now a Korean citizen and is fluent in Korean with a Korean university degree. She works as an official translator for the government. She also, on her own time, helps other Cambodian navigate through the legal system. She dedicate most of time on helping Cambodians collect wages from Korean owners that refuse to pay what is legally required. Korea has problems but a lot of its are of their own making rooted in racism.
In Malaysia, most of the people over here knew the minimum 3 languages. some people even goes up to 4 and 5 languages. Having an extra language is not a humiliation but a strength. People always say learn English is the best but if you doing trade with a certain country where English is not their main tongue, would it be the best? It is actually a burden,
As a Khmer person, I am embarrassed by this comment. I can’t empathize with a person who clearly doesn’t seem to have enough pride in Cambodia as she “desperately trying to raise their daughter as Korean as much as possible”. I hope Cambodia will start to tighten immigration as the economy improves so it too can remain Cambodian. It’s becoming an eyesore to see people with little to zero qualifications teach English while making a comfortable living wage in Cambodia, people who come to live in Cambodia because they’re too poor to live in their own countries and lastly the elderly poor who get involved with local women young enough to be their daughter because the women and their family lack values. Every country has its own issues. People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. Mind your own business and work to resolve your own problems.
@@TubersAndPotatoes first of all Koreans are really a funny people. They are too obsess with good looks until most of their face are basically identical with each other. They are too obsess with Europeans looks till they look down on the south east asians because their face is not "PRETTY" enough. I do not see any logic on this. There is no standard on defining what is beauty. kindness and compassion is the true beauty compared with the looks
It's a somewhat similar issue in the Philippines, where Metro Manila has become the country's focal point, showcasing our population and income imbalance. Though the nation's population growth rate is still high, the migration towards MM increases the disparity.
If you are talking about people flocking to the cities for oppurtunities, that is true in EVERY PART IN THE WORLD! Japan and SK have literally dying rural areas because there are no people except old people, this is not the case in the PHilippines.
Yes, the situation in the Philippines and South Korea highlights different but related challenges. In the Philippines, the rapid urban migration to Metro Manila exacerbates income and population imbalances, despite high national birth rates. In contrast, South Korea faces a declining population, which impacts rural areas and the workforce. Both scenarios underscore the importance of addressing regional disparities and implementing policies that balance development across urban and rural areas to ensure sustainable growth and equity
Similar but different at the same time coz Philippines provinces still has a lot of youth living in the rural area and our population is not declining yet
Fertility rate of the Philippines has just gone just right below the replacement level though... give it few more decades and PH will also frantically try to find solutions.
Watching this alongside the documentary on Chinese millennials revitalizing rural business presents an interesting comparison. In both South Korea and China, satellite cities and young people are grappling with intense competition. I’m China, many are adopting a "躺平" (lying flat) mindset, which isn't about giving up but rather finding alternative ways to make a living outside the conventional paths. We also see growing government support, on rural revitalization policies, and this theme is echoed in K-dramas and C-dramas aimed at younger audiences. This trend is also inspiring more young people to share their experiences on social media, especially as tourism shifts toward more localized, authentic experiences connected to nature and culture. It’s an intriguing direction that the younger generation seems to be shaping.
The working environment is so toxic there in Korea, and you guys expect people to have kids on top of that when everything is expensive as hell, not to mention everyone is focused on status and judgemental that you forget who you are in the first place.
I grew up from a rural place but did everything to move to a city, be a professional, and live the dream. I thought this is what I wanted. It is too tiring. You can't even enjoy your coffee in the morning. I am now fixing my debts and would hopefully finish paying them in 2 years. I plan to resign by then, go back to the province where I came from, live a simple and quiet life alone, and travel from time to time. I am single at 36, I have a house and a car, and savings on my bank accounts in preparation for future travels and getting old. But no, I have no plans of having a family. I don't think I can afford it. I will have to work until I get old if I choose to. It's not only in south korea, even here in the philippines, it is expensive to raise a child.
And absolutely correct on their brand obsession. They literally have a docu series showing the designer brands markets that sell fake designer clothes. That's a big thing.
It's a corporate cultural problem that looks down on remote working. Companies want their employees to show up in the offices. It's too bad, because Korea can leverage its excellent internet infrastructure with cloud working, to fix the overconcentration in Seoul due to employment opportunities. If they simply allowed their workers to live anywhere in the country while still being employed online with companies in Seoul, it would instantaneously fix the problem of Seoul sucking the life out of the rest of the country.
No, most popular companies offer remote work systems.Especially, IT companies. However, it can be difficult for manufacturing companies, but it depends on the job.
I remember being on a bus from the countryside to Seoul, and I saw a lot of empty and abandoned buildings / villages on the way. So I guess it is a really big problem there.
That's pretty intense. Here in Germany, the problem of rural exodus isn't as pronounced, except in the rural regions of the East, which are literally dying out because all the younger people are moving to big cities. After college, I decided to stay near my town of 75,000 people in the countryside because the advantages outweigh the disadvantages (I calculated I'd earn at most 20% more in a big city and would have had to commute a lot because rents are unaffordable and I don't want to have to spend a lot of my free time on the train or in the car). During the pandemic, many people moved back to rural areas, causing rents here to skyrocket. I'm looking for a new apartment, and it's no longer affordable for me. I'm might being forced to move back to the nearest city because, oddly enough, rents are cheaper there.
Very sad to me that Busan is dying. I hope it can stay vibrant as long as possible.. I can't believe that it has twice as many people over 65 to that of 20s or 30s.
The images of the rural areas in Korea look so beautiful and green. Perhaps, responsible ecoturism could be a way of bringing interest and resources back into the countryside.
As an outsider looking at Seoul I was slightly disappointed with the rapid destruction of old neighbourhoods and the rapid growth of high-rises, stripping away a lot of the uniqueness and visual appeal of the city but I understand the need to house all the new people and the people to come. I hope they are able to solve the population issues but other countries with more flexible mindsets have not managed to do so.
I have friends who have left Korea to seek a better work life balance. The pressure there is immense & it is not affordable to have children no matter how much govt assistance. The country is really a victim of its own success. It is still a paragon of success in Asia. But it is also a stark warning of what can happen to a country too.
In Seoul or Busan (and other cities) there are apartments that cost 20 million dollars(corrected in comments), and there are people living in floors below street level in the -1 with only one window. Fix this. Everyone needs a home, when basic needs and wealth distribution is fair, people will have babies.
i use to watch 2 days and 1 night (a korean variety show) where they would travel around the countryside, and in a few episodes they hang out with elderly people and mention the population decline
Here is a fun fact for you. Almost all countries except for underdeveloped nations like Africa and India have below replacement level birth rates. That means the population will shrink drastically by 2100. When the population shrinks, the economy shrinks. Anyone with basic common sense knows a shrinking economy is bad news. Lesser jobs, lower salaries, less services, higher taxes, you name it. I don't know about you but I would not want to be part of that world. I am sure glad I won't be around for that mess. That is not even considering the climate catastrophe that will hit hard by 2050. So, hey good luck to your children and your grandchildren. I am sure they will be super happy to inherit all that mess.
22:43 Of course money will work. Give every couple a free apartment in Gangnam if they have 2 babies. I guarantee you will see birth rate jump back to normal level. $1400 helps nothing for their financial burden. It is just a token gesture which can't even cover 2 months of private tuition fee. This bonus helps the rich get richer because they have more money to spend on holidays when they will have baby anyway regardless of any bonus.
Who's going to foot in the bills tho? The govt would go bankrupt just simply handing out free condos. Wealth redistribution through fair pay and denormalization of competitive society are the keys.
@@wamnicho Of course. Someone has been paying for the $1400 for each baby as well. It's like poor working class, who won't be benefitted from the scheme, paying a nice holiday trip for the upper class. I am not saying giving out free apartments is practical, just want to emphasis there is no solution but don't say money won't work.
This is where the government policy can promote population in the rural area by building hospitals, affordable housing, government offices etc and incentives for private sectors to relocate their head offices to these smaller cities. Without job opportunities, accessible facilities and infrastructure to enable easy transportation around the town this issue will continue to snowball.
They’ve been creating countryside development for years with varied results. Still, people continue to flock to the bigger cities because of better education and job opportunities. The general mindset of people is still Seoul-centric. They place higher value for Seoul education (SKY school) and jobs in the countryside is not attractive unless you work for the big conglomerate.
urban areas by nature are fertility depressors. the stress, rush and price factors severely impede population growth. not to mention there is something about human sub conscious on reducing mouths when they are squashed in a very small area with a lot of people. rural areas are the fountain where population flows out.
Since most people want to move to 1st tier cities, housing price is like a ticket, without which how can you decide who has the opportunity to live there?
I've seen this happen real time in India. People prefer living in slum like conditions in a city rather than a village. Purely because of jobs and opportunities. Mind you everything in cities costs more even if you are living in a pig pen and eating packaged food. The modern capitalist system encourages and even normalizes this.
I would like to share my experience as a new home owner in Seoul. It honestly comes to a lot of luck and a lot of work from my husband and myself. The sleepless nights, the lack of enjoyment and the sacrifice on top of being lucky to have people around us who gave us opportunities to get well payed jobs has allowed us to be in debt for 50 years for an apartment in Seoul.... For Koreans, they know that if they stay in the countryside, there are very few jobs, very few facilities and without making money you cannot survive. I'm in my later 30s and my husband in his mid 40s now. Home ownership is very hard when you start buying your first home now. If you did it 10 years ago, now you are a millionaire...
very thorough doco on this topic, heaps well reported. i wonder what the burden on the healthcare system will look like in the next coming decades- quality and quantity of healthcare staff, accessibility, meeting demands etc. also funny how none of the experts interviewed were women, says something in itself about the norms and opportunities available
So who is going to grow their food if there is no next generation of farmers etc in the rural areas? That will just drive up their food and cost of living too. What a major problem..
I did work in South Korea, and all the young people live in Seoul, not much in other states. That is why I keep seeing older people when I visit Busan. 2019
Currently in Busan on holiday in Korea, and the amount of elderly people here is insane. Not used to it in my home country but it’s crazy. They are very friendly through 😊
I don't see the reason to be alarmed about low fertility rates anywhere in this world. South Koreans in particular are very highly educated and they know it's a bad idea to bring children if they know that they cannot provide a stable household. The highly competitive job market, expensive housing market, and generally high cost of living means that there is general high demand for low supply. What is needed is a correction which is already happening. Once there are fewer home buyers, the housing prices will fall as housing stock goes up. Once there are less workers, employers will have to be less picky on who to hire and offer higher compensation packages. Once demand for goods fall because of lower population, prices will have to fall as well.
@@alfi-il7be you think Africans will stop breeding because Koreans have stopped “to help earth breath” they will come and take over those lands, that’s how the law of nature works
@@wamnicho well, our species have adapted to things much worse than some failing capitalist economy, we will be fine. It's the alarmists like yourself that make me laugh. In your world its all ruined if our perfect capitalist system won't be able to continue being exploited. On the other hand i say our species will find a new solution for our economic systems. Once we stop tying our economies to infinite growth, failing birth rates will not phase us. Also remember that AI and automation are here to stay, so even if we were to have more babies now, where the hell would they work in your opinion? 😂 It's all natural and the way it should be. As we implement more machines, robots and technology, we shrink our population size because we don't need huge amounts of people anymore. Also people will be wealthier on average because the resources will be split among in less fragments than before. I see only positive changes for our future with the falling population. Sure it's going to be rough for us, adults of today, but it's up to you to find a personal solution for yourself.
Poverty Leads to Overpopulation and Economic Prosper brings Infertility………Countries needs to find balance like some of European countries have found like Swiss, Norway, Netherlands…
I have no idea why the Korean Government is not in absolute panic mode. Rather than collapsing and having replacements every 2-4 months, South Korea is already far too deep into its problem. There's a good chance their mostly gone in 2080 or 2100 and Japan is only 50-80 years away from following suit.
There was an explosion of wealth in the 60s and 70s that made these rural areas possible in the first place. As money gets harder to make and things become more expensive, people have to crowd around rich people(which is what cities are) and service them. Before that these rural areas were incredibly poor and backwards. So while this is a shock to modern people, this is really just a return to normal. The birthrate is affected because people are conditioned to expect a certain lifestyle, not because raising or educating a child is expensive. Mental health, despair etc all stem from this.
Singapore doesn't actually have a population crisis like Korea/Japan, since the country here is the only one that is very open to immigration. All the potential population decline in Singapore is offset by the population increase from all the immigrants coming in. Meanwhile Korea/Japan can't solve this problem the same way due to their homogeneity in society. It's also harder when you need learn their native language whereas in Singapore everyone just needs know English
I lived in South Korea for 9 years , my kids born over there but I saw pressure for kids , office culture , i feel everything is connected . many of my office korean workers are like they dont want to get married and many are singles in there 40's. Korean hierarchical culture in office and everywhere making everything worst. That was the main reason I moved from there. its so toxic
Developed countries & some developing countries become developed are facing the aging population & low birthrate terms of uncertain economy,highghiving cost,low payment salaries even I malaysian also same problem as the rest of other asian countries but thanks credit to politican & leaders for caused with heavy respondbilities
The era has already changed, if the government doesn’t create a good policy to boost birth then we can expect what kind of future will be. I think a sense of good community in rural areas must be started in the first place. More subsidy and government support for farming/ manufacturing, etc. The education cannot be concentrated in Seoul Univ only. This kind of stereotyping of good school is actually killing the young generation’s sense of self safisfaction towards life. Life itself is already challenging, don’t burden them even more
As an American who grew up in a small town working on farms went to college for farming and then I got into agricultural technology startups and for better opportunities I had to live in a pretty big city for 5 or 6 years and it was good in some ways but I pretty much hated it once I sold my company I moved back to where my friends had a farm in rural northern New York and I have found just as much opportunity here with very low cost of living in housing and no young people because they all move to the city There are huge opportunities to take over businesses because all the family members of the businesses left to go to the city for more opportunity. Most are really struggling in the city because it's extremely expensive housing wise and just all cost of living in the job market is extremely competitive a percentage will compete and do extremely well many others will not get ahead. I always said I'd rather be a big fish in a small pond than a small fish in a big pond.
It seems like South Korea should try to relocate a lot of these major industries, companies, and schools to other parts of the country, especially the rural areas. Also make society less competitive, address women's issues, and expand healthcare for the elderly, families, and children.
At least, despite the balance tipping heavily towards Seoul, the rest of South Korea is still first world by international standards. Meanwhile in the Philippines, Manila is very similar to Seoul being the center of everything, but the rest of the country sadly is still very much third world despite the Philippines having a head start in terms of development.
Japan's birth rate is low as well comparable to SK. This explains Japan's lower house costs (th-cam.com/video/geex7KY3S7c/w-d-xo.html , th-cam.com/video/d6ATBK3A_BY/w-d-xo.html ) TLDR it's a combination of very good zoning laws along with depopulation. The Vienna model is increasingly becoming popular as well in context of implementing affordable housing policies.
Please consider adding audio translation when interviewing in foreign language for people who like to listen to news in the background. I kept having to stop doing things just to read the tiny subtitle.
70% of voters are over 40 years old As a 70 year old politician You will provide policies that benefit older people.Such as increasing taxes for young people to give as pension money and improving health for older people.
The problem is also the South Korean government. They don't fund other cities except Seoul. If they don't change city funding to build up other cities like Busan, Daegu, Gwangju etc the country will face a housing bubble that will eventually cause the country to go into a deep recession. Not enough jobs are being generated anywhere except Seoul and businesses are either moving to Seoul or removing locations in other cities
Is the same in Vietnam everyone is trying to come to Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh city. But at least, we have 2 cities to divide. Overcrowded cities, properties skyrocketting, air pollution and traffic jams are widespread
I wish there was an interview with a younger person living in the rural area. Although they touched on it, it would have been nice to hear from an actual person about their experience and why they are still living in the country side
Two extremes. From the pressures of We to the freedom of Me. From We to Me culture. Where’s the balance? The solution can’t swing from one extreme to the other, you end up with the same problem.
Korean government should make housing, education and healthcare cheaper using policies, programs & tax laws so that young couples marry early and start a family. This is the only way to stop population decline and bring in population & economic growth. Nothing else will work. 3:50
Young people: I have to be in Seoul because that's where the companies are. Company: I have to be in Seoul because that's where the young people are. Sounds like a problem that can be solved. Just give incentives to companies to relocate and people will follow.
They make living in korea so cool in k shows then a vid like this comes and you thank God for knowing that country only through samsung and k dramas and not through being born and live there
Exactly they portray it very well. And at least Top from Big Bang was HONEST about saying he didn't like south korea. And for many a reason as to what he was dealing with and seeing going on. The rest deed us the lie.
Birth rate is india is dropping significantly....government chopped the 2 child policy..since it has it's disadvantages china is facing...birth rate will going down in rapid speed that government is also worried
The Silicone Valley in California exists thanks to Stanford University. Boston continues to be admired and respected thanks to the best and brightest of Harvard. The brains of a country cannot be at a single location. I guess the CEOs of Samsung and Kia were too busy making money. Seoul may look alive and strong and attractive to others. It reminds me of Charlie Chaplin movies about man and machine. I don’t envy the young and feel sorry for the middle aged. As for the over 65 they are fortunate because Korea has beautiful Nature. Be at home with nature-that’s the secret of Happiness for any human.
Humanity should take careful note of South Korea's dire demographic predicament. This is the natural by-product of hyper-capitalism, hyper-competitiveness, hyper-consumerism, and hyper-individualism. Marriage rates plummet. Fertility and birth rates plummet. Soon, the nation, people, and society will disintegrate and fall apart.
I used to teach in a rural area in Seoul most of my schools 90+ percent of them used to tell me they want to move to Seoul for university and they want to establish their lives in Seoul when they are financially stable.
humans are instictively wanted to have a family and reproduce if they're living a good and happy life. this should not be a question when the government of that country is obviously the main contributing factor to the population crisis issue. population crisis is the most direct result of poor quality society and governance as a whole. the country itself could be doing better or more wealthy than some other countries but this doesn't mean that the people are living a better quality life than others so the country itself doing well is not the best measurement to evaluate their actual performance from a citizen's standpoint.
It seems like the Korean government only focuses on developing Seoul... there are even lots of promotions to attract tourists to Seoul... but not other areas... the government must promote areas in South Korea other than Seoul, Jeju and Busan
They are trying now but this is the not exactly addressing the root of the problem. Gender equality and drastic cultural and mindset change are what’s needed for young people to feel more freedom and adapt a more natural way of lifestyle with less pressure from the society.
Uk too. Jobs are mostly London or Manchester based. They don’t even focus on Birmingham the second largest city. If I want to succeed I need to move to London.
Fortunately in Singapore we a a city state and it's not too far to get around the whole Singapore. We won't have this issue but we also have the issue of low birth rate.
There is an easy fix to not let real estate prices grow, don't limit the housing supply. It is as simple as that. If you allow to build houses anywhere and everywhere, demand and supply will match and there won't be any need for controlling housing prices. This is the case everywhere, any country on earth can fix their soaring real estate prices by allowing more construction of houses and increasing housing supply. Prices rise because of high demand and low availability.
@@Lalit-yw2tb why would they built a lot of houses, when the population is already declining.. like whose buying that.. it's more likely that would be empty like there's a lot of empty real estate in china
I have the same thought, but i think it will cycle back. The tax will be paid by the Seoul people, causing higher living cost, and birth rate decline even faster. People still can't leave Seoul because there is 'nothing' out there. City people is getting harder to feel 'satisfied', in term of entertainment, fulfilment, etc. I would say it's more like a drug addict, there's just 'more things' in the city. Or like the adrenaline hit, people want more exciting things in the city.
@@aaron-channel if there's population then entrepreneurs will set up businesses there. Takes time but definitely need the conglomerate to shift the businesses there to kick start. No jobs no population issue from what I understand from the video. The previous reply make sense, the chaebol owns SK gov.
You can replace workers with machines. But machines cannot become consumers.
@@zfranke3domethere is only so much they can buy.
@@kasikwagoma6740true, so they should just make the rich PAY more for their goods & services.
Tell me you don’t know basic economics without telling me you have no clue about economics 🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️
@@zfranke3domehow is it so difficult to understand, people do other things than just go shopping. Even if they buy frivolous things it will never be infinite.
@@zfranke3domePlease read more articles about economics.
That fact that Busan, the 2nd largest city, is at risk of collapse due to depopulation is truly terrifying. Government better figure out a way to decentralize the job market, top universities, earning opportunity from Seoul and QUICKLY.
The rural era is absolutely beautiful. It's heartbreaking
They don't care
Everything happens for a reason lmao
Terrifying?
Rural area is beautiful because there is less human settlement. It's okay to let the wild life thrive there.
Maybe immigration is the solution?
If only companies allow 100% remote work for office workers, I'd gladly move out to a small town or a village as long as the internet connection there is good enough. I'm tired of the noise pollution, higher cost of living in a big city anyway..
I can say as an international teacher who worked all over korea.... same internet speeds are everywhere, literally. I lived in big, small cities, villages and north, sd south, east, west coast.
But then companies will be paying rent for empty office buildings if everyone worked from home
Adapt or perish @@wamnicho
They have really fast internet.
Yep! Same here. Too much stressful in Big Cities!
The pressure young people are under to succeed is so strong. Not every student will get into a top university. The mental health of those that don’t make it is really sad.
Only woke people complain about this. These kinds of pressure are fine and helps the country a lot overall. Especially countries like Korea/Japan who have no resources.
Pressure might help GDP but not mental health, man. South Korea has one of the highest suicide rate in OECD
can NON SEOUL people stop freakin coming to seoul and stay at busan or wheverever youre from?
8:34 please STOP coming to SEOUL and stay at your area like please
please stop sending your kids to HAGWONS
I had to agree since I traveled through South Korea recently. Even in Busan the second largest city in South Korea the amount of elderly people compared to Seoul is staggering.
I was there for 10 days 3 weeks ago and noticed there were so many elderly people, too. I love the elderly, so we had some conversations. Actually, they initiated it asking about my children and I. It was heartwarming. One said to me... See you later, and she had my heart...lol. She was like a great aunt. We are returning next summer for 3 weeks.
can NON SEOUL people stop freakin coming to seoul and stay at busan or wheverever youre from?
@@yonggeun4222No, everyone has a right to travel where they want.
@@yonggeun4222No, because all opportunities and most money are at Seoul. If South Korean want to reduce the urban, they should build and bring those opportunities to other city too. Make big companies with big employees move their head quarters to smaller cities, can be a start.
@@hills863 well can they build companies and other stuff in other cities then? can seriously can busan and jonrado people stop coming to seoul and just stay whereever youre from?
Same thing is happening in Tokyo.
It absorbs everything as the country’s population is shrinking 😢
Also same as one of the comments here, Tokyo companies gaslight pregnant workers in a bid to replace them permanently, just because they got pregnant.
Yep, thus the fake high gdp of the Tokyo area. The entire county’s industries are concentrated in one “city”
They need Islam.
@@supernova7966the last thing another country full of poverty and extremism.
@@supernova7966 A seventh century answer suggested for a twenty-first century problem? 🙄
In America, young people don't care as much about higher education but it is the higher cost of living that is causing nobody to want to have kids.
I doubt in the US or many other countries like my own (Australia) that the government is running them for what is in the best interests of the people, economic interests/greed tends to take priority, migration is the silver bullet but does not fix the country or why people have few children.
Have bo fear, our open border policy will offset the decline in the birthrate with workers who can not advocate for themselves and will work for less.
@@janewick1082The border isn't open. That is right wing nonsense used to fear monger against minorities so people don't see the real enemy. The wealthy. The US doesn't have a declining birthrate either. It's increasing exponentially and the US is the third most populated country in the world. Impoverished people are still having kids in the US when they shouldn't. We should be making a stand by not having kids. The rich want more workers and consumers? Pay us better and lower the cost of living. Sadly, people in the US will keep pumping out more slaves with nothing in return.
The US cares just as much about a college education.
US birth rate is higher than many other developed countries
when a nation focus on purely gdp growth in a capitalistic global economy, this is the result. Things like family, dating and work/life balance policies are not being made a priority. If you want people to have children then you have to make having a family easier in cities/country ( healthcare, good education, economic stability and alleviating the burden of children).
@israel_illuminati_Rothschild its not standard of living. Its illusion of high standard of living. They spent so much to showcase how rich they are
That is not what is making the birth rate in South Korea and the rest of the developing world collapse.
It's the inter gender dynamics between men and women where women are now expected and encouraged by the state to pursue higher education, career and going up the corporate ladder instead or having getting married early and having family.
That combined with the shift from a gold backed currency onto ta fiat currency which has made the cost of living and inflation go through the roof, while making Rich incredibly rich and the poor barely able to survive even on 2 incomes while 3 or 4 generations ago even a single income was enough to support the average family.
@israel_illuminati_Rothschild You are describing the effects of what @t0astz said.. unfortunately that is the price of economic boom.
@israel_illuminati_Rothschildstandard of living =/= quality of living. Japan also has a high standard of living but everyone is overworked and underpaid
@israel_illuminati_Rothschild The standard of living in general is high but to have that you have to work a lot, so there's not much time for raising a family. But at least that's achievable. To provide a high standard of living for someone else (e.g., a child or two) is near impossible for most people.
the problem seems to be seoul is like the center of all opprtunities, they should focus on establishing a secondary or third capital cities
They have tried that but all failed, new cities pop up and they get expensive so fast, it simply doesn't work. Maybe they have to start taking extreme measures like fixing housing otherwise I don't see anything changing.
I think they built a second big city, but rather than absorb the population from the capital it instead absorbed citizens from those small towns.
They tried and failed. SeJong was supposed secondary capital where they'd move the Blue House/government too. They figured out moving the central government was too difficult and government employees/officials didn't even want to move because obviously those with children want their kids in Seoul with the best reputable education options. People don't like the SeJong because of its uncanny too clean artificial feeling. Even the locals go to DaeJeon for fun and nightlife. Unless you live in a dystopian dictatorship, you really can't control the natural flow of what society wants or likes.
@@BarakaAndrew nonsense. China made it work.
Lol. Yeah that’s the problem. Men are the problem. MEN.
South Korea, has a declining population, but they refuse to change legislation to protect women, the very people responsible for giving birth to kids. Why would I give birth to a kid if I knew that I could not get another job if I left my job, or that I would be discriminated against if I got pregnant? The government refuses to look at the fundamental issue but will give out a $1000 bonus, which is a month's salary if that. Plus, the toxic work culture and the intense social hierarchy mean that young people cannot get ahead despite talent, but the government is scratching their heads about why people are not having kids. It's laughable. Finally, there is the racism that people face in South Korea. Most ageing populations use migration to get immigrants to move to the country and have kids, but Korea is so homogenous and there is intense racism, especially towards poorer Asian countries.
All of that. I've read a lot of Korean women perspectives on blogs and websites about how they as women are treated as compared to males. They have done this to themselves to be fair. So many issues as to what is going on and not one Cork in the pipeline to fix the most important issues and causes
The largest number of foreigners in Korea are Chinese followed by Southeast Asians. The highest number of illegal immigrants is from Southeast Asia, Thailand at 36%, Vietnamese at 18%. If life in Korea was that bad it wouldn't be like that. And the foreign women that Korean men most marry are Vietnamese. They also often marry Filipinos and Thais.
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Status of Foreign Residents by Nationality (Region) (2024.06.30.)
Source: SK Gov
Total 2,612,328
Chinese 952,254
Korean Chinese (635,215)
Vietnamese 307,487
Thai 190,608
American 190,335
Uzbek 90,800
Russians (Federal) 71,010
Nepalese 68,282
Filipinos 68,250
Indonesian 62,747
Cambodians 62,534
Mongolian 55,802
Kazakhs 45,675
Myanmar 48,569
Japanese 48,567
(Taiwanese) 43,287
Sri Lankans 33,561
Canadians 29,332
Bangladeshis 28,689
Pakistani 17,393
Indian 17,037
Australians 14,001
Malaysians 10,148
Kyrgyzstan 11,084
Other 144,876
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Status of Foreign Residents by Nationality (Continent) (2023.12.31.)
Total 2,507,584
Asia 2,147,186
North America 189,502
South America 9,021
Europe 113,045
Oceania 24,221
Africa 24,334
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Status of illegal immigrants (2024.06.)
Total foreigners staying 2,612,328
illegal immigrants 414,730
Illegal stay rate 15.9%
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Status of illegal immigrants by Nationality (2022.8.22.)
Source: SK gov
Total 388,700 (100%)
Thailand 142,677 (36.7)
China 63,113 (16.2)
Vietnam 70,411 (18.1)
Mongolia 15,969 (4.1)
Philippines 13,613 (3.5)
Russia 9,486 (2.4)
Kazakhstan 9,768 (2.5)
Indonesia 9,142 (2.4)
Uzbekistan 9,167 (2.4)
Cambodia 8,751 (2.3)
Others 36,603 (9.4)
International Marriage Statistics of South Korea
Source: SK Gov
2022 Total number of international marriages 16,666
Korean man + foreign woman 12,007
Vietnam 3,319
China 2,282
Thailand 1,932
United States 600
Japan 599
Philippines 509
Cambodia 422
Other 2,344
Korean women + foreign men 4,659
United States 1,380
China 750
Vietnam 586
Canada 310
United Kingdom 166
Australia 151
Other 1,316
- Marriages with foreigners were 17,000 an increase of 27.2%(4,000) from the previous year.
The proportion of marriages with foreigners among all marriages was 8.7% an increase of 1.9% from the previous year.
- The nationalities of foreign wives were Vietnamese(27.6%), Chinese(19.0%) and Thai(16.1%).
The nationalities of foreign husbands were American(29.6%), Chinese(16.1%) and Vietnamese (12.6%).
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Status of Spouses of Nationals(Married Immigrants)
Gender Status by Nationality (2024.06.30.)
Source: SK gov
Total 178,163 (100%)
Male 35,065 (19.7%)
Female 143,098 (80.3%)
Chinese 60,281 (33.8%)
Male 14,062
Female 46,219
Korean Chinese 21,172
Male 8,237
Female 12,935
Vietnamese 41,028 (23.0%)
Male 4,754
Female 36,274
Japanese 15,930 (8.9%)
Male 1,313
Female 14,617
Filipino 12,687 (7.1%)
Male 625
Female 12,062
Thai 9,181 (5.2%)
Male 142
Female 9,039
American 5,208 (2.7%)
Male 3,523
Female 1,685
Cambodian 4,856 (2.8%)
Male 852
Female 4,004
Other 28,992 (16.3%)
Male 9,794
Female 19,198
- Marriage Naturalizations (Cumulative)
2018 129,028
2019 135,056
2020 141,773
2021 148,118
2022 154,926
2023 161,357
2024.06. 163,357
- Nationality
By the end of June this year, there were 6,205 people who acquired Korean citizenship. The types of nationality acquisition are naturalization for 4,736 people and nationality restoration for 1,469 people. Among naturalized people 2,882(60.9%) were from China and 1,192(25.2%) were from Vietnam.
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- FYI There are many Korean-Chinese and Chinese people in Korea and there are people who have become naturalized Koreans and are marrying Chinese people.
- There are many Vietnamese women who have married Korean men with a large age difference and some of them divorced after naturalization using a marriage visa and remarried Vietnamese men.
"The toxic work culture and intense social hierarchy" I truly felt this line, even if you want to learn further at work, but they set boundaries to young people who strives harder and become better, that's why I'm thinking of searching another opportunities to become better and leave all the bs behind
@@unknown5624 and @shristi1970 women are disadvantaged in multiple ways. Back in the 60s, 70s and 80s parents wanted to have boys over girls because the belief that only a boy can pass on the family name. Lots of stories (and I'm not sure how much it's true) of abortions and infanticide when parents find out they are having a girl. The country has to pass a law saying that doctors could not tell parents the gender of the baby until a certain point of the pregnancy. If the baby was a girl guess who got blamed. I was married to a Korean woman and her family has three daughters, a curse of sorts some would say (to clarify I do not think that way). Women are demeaned and do not have the same rights as men. Yes, men have to go to mandatory military service for 2 1/2 years, but even that amount of time doesn't make up for a crap they go through with marriage and having kids.
As far as illegal immigrants in Korea, that has been a problem for quite awhile and I believe there is a bounty for turning them in to Korean Immigration. People from those top 5 countries on the list have difficulties getting a visa because immigration has to strengthen the rules for visas.
In terms of marriage migrants (mail order brides) most of them come from that list as well. It shocks me that it is still happening in the 21st century. For many of the SE Asian countries men still have to pay a dowry to marry a woman which is negotiated with the bride's family and can be as much as $10,000. Men who are in rural areas or disabled often have their wife "bought" for them.
Source: I have lived in Asia for over 20 years and also read quite a bit Korea and Asian countries as well as traveled to many countries.
Allowing older Seoul workers to work remotely, may help spread population outside of Seoul - allowing young families to buy a home.
The hierarchy is to blame. 23% successful. 23% failures. Everyone else just struggling. You are your rank in school, the house you live in, the family you have or don’t have, you are the neighborhood you live in. Strongly responsible is the government telling everyone to stop having kids from 1960 on ward. Mandatory military and college for all made everyone postpone family 4-6 years and delay fertility. The older you are when you start a family the fewer children you have, if at all. In 1980 they got to 2.0. They worked everyone to death, no family life. But they kept going. Then in addition the kids ended up in mandatory study until all hours. No one grew up with family. Instead they grew up living off mom and dad until their 30’s. Who wants to support a kid until the kid’s 30’s? The country got greedy with irrational growth. Before you were poor if you could not afford the school fee. Now school is free, lunches free, rice abundant and everyone has several pairs of shoes but it’s too expensive. The only thing that helped delay population decline is elders started to live until 80 instead of 60. Or they would have seen the effects in the 90’s.
SK is already a highly dystopian society. It just doesnt look like it because its hidden under their politeness.
It's crazy, but countries around europe are implementing final tests in elementeries now that will decide your highschool, heavily forcing kids at such age to perform well if they want to go where they wish to go and it's not like you are entering for cambridge or oxford or any other major school. just crazy.
Rice ain’t abundant any more
@@lordlee6473 yes it is.
@@kenim the only thing that really makes South Korea dystopian is the CCTV cameras everywhere. On the bright side I can walk anywhere in Seoul at midnight or 1 am and no one will bother me (I'm also a tall white guy so that probably gives me better odds). I've lived here for 20+ years and honestly that is the only real example I can give.
This looks like it's a global issue. I'm in my late thirties and always thought by now I'd have children and a home of my own. I don't, and can't forsee if I can in the near future. I just don't earn enough. How can I dare to dream of a family when I can barely even look after myself? It's so disheartening that now my dream is to get through life quietly, pass in peace, and hope to never, ever come back to this place.
Los Angeles here.. yeah it's terrible. Something needs to change.
❤❤❤hugs from rural Korea 😊
@m00secat thank you for sharing your experience and perspective. I worry a lot about generations younger than me as I also struggled so much to start a family. I want to send you encouragement that finding someone to build a life together with is possible and an amazing thing. You don't need to have everything to start life and a family. A life is meant to be shared, a family can be two people or 10 people. I hope you find a person who can share your burdens and happy moments together.
That's exactly my dream
Well sometimes you want a family but something is not right with our food supply, environment.... Making it more difficult to get pregnant. IVF is not guaranteed to work and so expensive and most insurance will not cover it. It's ridiculous that it's not covered and costs so much in the US.
My mom's from Busan, the busiest port and 2nd largest city in South Korea, and even she moved north to Seoul for more opportunity. Seoul is draining the rest of Korea out.
Maybe Koreans will be more open to immigration
Nowhere in this video did it talk about the fact that there are basically 3 pediatric surgeons in all of South Korea, and very few pediatric doctors, period. Babies and small kids die while waiting to be seen by doctors or while being transported to larger cities during a medical emergency. If the government really wanted to do something about the birth rate, they would get past the doctor strike to push for more pediatric doctors to be matriculated, and then they would INCENTIVIZE population shifts to these abandoned area. Offer grants and move 1,000 people at a time back into these struggling rural towns. But nobody will have kids or move back if there is no healthcare system.
That can't be right can it only 3 pediatricians for the entire country of Korea? That's a dire situation that would shut down entire hospital wards even in Seoul that's not enough surgeons . It's another barrier to making people want to have kids. I hope you're not right about there being only 3 pediatric surgeons in Korea. you're offered solution sounds so reasonable/
@@28naveenator27van From what i've seen, from videos of people in South Korea talking about this topic
They work 80+ hours per week and their pay is quite poor, not just for pediatricians
but for other specialists too, such as doctors adding onto this. Most of the jobs are really only located in Seoul
Couple that with societal pressures + The expensive living cost of South Korea
And you have a melting pot that is South korea's population Crisis.
@@28naveenator27van A pediatrician and a pediatric surgeon are not the same thing, btw.
If that is true, that would really scare me. 3 pediatric surgeons? is that general surgical peds? or they also have sub-specs? if that is the number of pediatric surgeons, i'm wondering now on pediatric dentists as well as developmental pediatricians... i mean, i can't toot my own horn. my country still needs to increase their developmental pediatrics doctors, but they are trying their best. it's scary to raise a child if that's just the number of pediatricians in the country you're living in...
Edit: checked Google, it says in koreabiomed that there are 35 pediatric surgeons in SK... that's still sooooooo little.
That's hard to believe. Care to cite your source?
Their rural areas so beautiful...
Very!😊
This migration to the capital is nothing new. Same thing is happening to Tokyo and Jakarta. In China, people migrate to tier-1 cities leaving the villages empty.
@@baha3alshamari152 I know that! Duh?!! Read my statement again. Don't embarrass yourself if you can't read.
Nah south Korea are extrem case
Greater Seoul = 55% south Korea population
Greater Busan = 8% south
Korea population
Greater Tokyo = 28% japan population
Greater Osaka = 15% Japan population
Greater Nagoya = 9% Japan population
Greater jakarta = 12,5% Indonesia population
Greater Surabaya = 3,6% Indonesia population
Greater bandung = 3,2% Indonesia population
U can see Seoul metro area have 7x population compare to Busan, when Tokyo metro area population only 2x more than Osaka metro area and jakarta metro area population 3,5x more than Surabaya metro area
This is true to almost every country sadly.
Kind of, but not entirely true. China has way more places that are economically prosperous. Five tier 1 cities, and 20 some tier 2 cities. If you’ve been to these cities, you would find out they are all more urbanized and grandeur than Seoul
Singapore is heading there as well and deservingly so. Giving baby bonus is not effective when managements and Singapore companies are incentivised to give “poor performance” grading as a guise to working parents with care giving responsibilities whom needs to take paternity or childcare leaves to care for their very young and very old.
In other words, the baby bonus given by government is INDIRECTLY being transferred to companies as “COST SAVINGS” since they do not need to pay working parents whom just gave birth any bonus…
.. deserving so … 😯!
I’ll give a clue for one of the companies having such underhanded practices.
ST Engineering Aviation Defence Services is one of those…
if you compare this to this video, is Johor and KL losing their population (mainly Chinese) to Singapore.
@@Strik3Fr33dom2 JB maybe not so much if Malaysians commute daily to instead of move to Singapore, though we have the other challenge of crowded border crossings (I read of some cleaners who sleep only 3h daily due to the time they spend commuting). Also heard though that since blue-collar work in Singapore may pay more than white-collar ones in Malaysia, some people in Malaysia may thus find higher education to be less useful
In Laos, we don't have this problem. The wife stays home to take care of children. The husbands go to work in the city. After the kids are teenagers, the wife goes back to work. Life is good.
They should encourage private companies to relocate to other parts of the country that’s one way to entice people away from Seoul.
Companies relocated their factories to foreign countries.
Korea started manufacturing their stuff in China, Vietnam and Philippines...eliminating the manufacturing jobs that existed in cities like Daegu, Pohang and Gwangju. Seoul is so insanely overcrowded with 26 of the 52 million population all living in the metro area.
They do, Busan, Samsung, Ulsan, Hyundai engineering, etc etc, just that other than those companies, the big banks, FIs, education, etc etc are all in Seoul.
South Korea is a state created by USA, it is also under complete economic control of USA the chaebols of South Korea transfer some of the wealth they get from Korea to USA, so the economy is structured in such a way that the few chaebols wealth will exponentially explode creating a real estate bubble in the capital helps in this cause
8:34 please STOP coming to SEOUL and stay at your area like please
70% of voters are over 40 years old As a 70 year old politician You will provide policies that benefit older people.Such as increasing taxes for young people to give as pension money and improving health for older people.
same Malaysia also 70 /60 above year old politician
But eventually those old people will have no one left to look after them in the long run
Scariest they will do is force young people to fight their wars because there aren't enough volunteers anymore
@@wamnicho
And who takes care for the young when they need to? If you put everybody into poverty and exploitation birth rates will drop hard.
@@marcozegikniet9301 young people take care of themselves because they have the energy. Unless a young person is crippled, there’s no reason he shouldn’t be able to take himself to the toilet without help which is not the case with old people
This is a time when people should explore alternative ways of living rather than sticking to traditional paths. I believe that the current trend of pursuing corporate careers and living in expensive cities may not be the most fulfilling. Instead, individuals should consider returning to smaller towns and villages to build a different, more meaningful life
And then those rural areas will also become cities
how can i find a job in a rural area???
@pepik121 invent one.
For some parents status is more imp and they will not allow their kids specially in Asian countries or even south Asian.
That's not the way parents and society raised these kids. Globally. Not to be extreme but more generations are basically sheep. They are taught to not question and follow a string of policies by the schools and governments.
Also with such high stakes and a ever growing nihlism and despair about the future for the world's youth, taking such risks won't appeal to them like that.
This is happening in all developed nations. As manufacturing, farming and trade jobs disappear...everyone goes to the city for banking, engineering and government jobs while the middle class and lower class go to service the upper class as drivers, servers and retail. And city people do not have as many kids as rural and the vicious cycle goes round and round.
People are taught that their ancestors were pond scum millions of years ago, so see no need to have kids.
Though Korea & Japan still have a sizable manufacturing industry though (almost 30% of GDP?) with factories being further away from larger cities e.g. I think Busan is home to S Korea's biggest shipbuilders
korean parents must understand that not all child are born intelligent. i mean take me for example i always wanted to work on software but i cant code no matter what. it's all about acceptance and not pushing people to depression just because they are not as good as the blessed people working in top companies
Similar to other places, business districts in the Philippines are concentrated in Metro Manila. This centralization drives people from the provinces to migrate to Manila in search of opportunities, leading to skyrocketing prices for goods and housing, severe traffic congestion, widespread pollution, and an overburdened transportation system that struggles to accommodate the daily influx of commuters. The challenges I’ve mentioned are just the tip of the iceberg-there's much more beneath the surface, including issues like crime and poverty.
Yeah, Philippines' has a problem with most developments centered om Metro Manila. Though alternate areas like Clark and New Clark are being developed.
@@shaider1982 New Clark isn't enough. I think the admins should remove the provincial rate, and remove the red tape when it comes to starting a business. With that Idea in mind Jobs well spread out without needing to start a city from scratch.
Phils have intellectually talented resources, world class. Its got very good laws n business incentives as well. What it sorely lacks is Good Governance.😢
Not the same, South Korea and Japan are dying in the rural areas and are just consolidating in their major cities. It is but natural that people wanting to come out ahead go where the oppurtunities are but even the most distant or remotest places in the Philippines have people, both young and old, in them. People are still having babies by the bundle and a lot are content in their home provinces.
philippines need to decrease their population. too many lazy people
Very interesting report. Here in Taiwan, the pull toward Taipei isn't so strong, in part because of the science parks in Hsinchu, Taichung, and Tainan.
是这样的，因为台湾哪哪都穷啊。出个门还都自己为过得不错XD
the birth rate in Taipei is 0.95.
Shanghai 0.6
HK 0.97
Singapore 0.98
Seoul 0.6
Tokyo 1.03
But the infrastructure and public transportation in hsinchu is so much behind than taipei. with the high house rent and high tech high income its really disappointed
I know a Cambodian lady that married a Korean and is desperately trying to raise their daughter as korean as much as possible. Several years back, she bought her daughter to Cambodia to meet her extended family. The girl picked up some Khmer phrases and used it in school. The teacher overheard it and summoned her mother to school for a meeting. The meeting was nothing more than a scold down for allowing her daughter to learn Khmer.
This lady is now a Korean citizen and is fluent in Korean with a Korean university degree. She works as an official translator for the government. She also, on her own time, helps other Cambodian navigate through the legal system. She dedicate most of time on helping Cambodians collect wages from Korean owners that refuse to pay what is legally required.
Korea has problems but a lot of its are of their own making rooted in racism.
blaming korea is kind of a sports now. why you bring up racism here? its about population decline. and racism probably exist in your country too
In Malaysia, most of the people over here knew the minimum 3 languages. some people even goes up to 4 and 5 languages. Having an extra language is not a humiliation but a strength. People always say learn English is the best but if you doing trade with a certain country where English is not their main tongue, would it be the best? It is actually a burden,
As a Khmer person, I am embarrassed by this comment. I can’t empathize with a person who clearly doesn’t seem to have enough pride in Cambodia as she “desperately trying to raise their daughter as Korean as much as possible”. I hope Cambodia will start to tighten immigration as the economy improves so it too can remain Cambodian. It’s becoming an eyesore to see people with little to zero qualifications teach English while making a comfortable living wage in Cambodia, people who come to live in Cambodia because they’re too poor to live in their own countries and lastly the elderly poor who get involved with local women young enough to be their daughter because the women and their family lack values. Every country has its own issues. People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. Mind your own business and work to resolve your own problems.
Yes, Korean racism and racial superiority complex is a very real thing.
@@TubersAndPotatoes first of all Koreans are really a funny people. They are too obsess with good looks until most of their face are basically identical with each other.
They are too obsess with Europeans looks till they look down on the south east asians because their face is not "PRETTY" enough. I do not see any logic on this. There is no standard on defining what is beauty. kindness and compassion is the true beauty compared with the looks
It's a somewhat similar issue in the Philippines, where Metro Manila has become the country's focal point, showcasing our population and income imbalance. Though the nation's population growth rate is still high, the migration towards MM increases the disparity.
If you are talking about people flocking to the cities for oppurtunities, that is true in EVERY PART IN THE WORLD! Japan and SK have literally dying rural areas because there are no people except old people, this is not the case in the PHilippines.
Yes, the situation in the Philippines and South Korea highlights different but related challenges. In the Philippines, the rapid urban migration to Metro Manila exacerbates income and population imbalances, despite high national birth rates. In contrast, South Korea faces a declining population, which impacts rural areas and the workforce. Both scenarios underscore the importance of addressing regional disparities and implementing policies that balance development across urban and rural areas to ensure sustainable growth and equity
Similar but different at the same time coz Philippines provinces still has a lot of youth living in the rural area and our population is not declining yet
Fertility rate of the Philippines has just gone just right below the replacement level though... give it few more decades and PH will also frantically try to find solutions.
@@kzm-cb5mr but still we have more population of Youth
Rural South Korea is so beautiful. I would find it irresistible 🌲🌳🌲
I wonder what wildlife lives in the rural areas of Korea. Maybe with this trend of people moving to the cities the wildlife will be able to rebound.
we all thing avout economy ,social but what about environment. maybe this is the best for earth
That is happening in Japan with more bears and wild boars being spotted as the countryside depopulates.
A lot of deer.
Watching this alongside the documentary on Chinese millennials revitalizing rural business presents an interesting comparison. In both South Korea and China, satellite cities and young people are grappling with intense competition. I’m China, many are adopting a "躺平" (lying flat) mindset, which isn't about giving up but rather finding alternative ways to make a living outside the conventional paths. We also see growing government support, on rural revitalization policies, and this theme is echoed in K-dramas and C-dramas aimed at younger audiences. This trend is also inspiring more young people to share their experiences on social media, especially as tourism shifts toward more localized, authentic experiences connected to nature and culture. It’s an intriguing direction that the younger generation seems to be shaping.
First of all Huge respect for the Chinese. And the Chinese mindset. I like how you as a group are solution based in your collective thinking.
The working environment is so toxic there in Korea, and you guys expect people to have kids on top of that when everything is expensive as hell, not to mention everyone is focused on status and judgemental that you forget who you are in the first place.
Koreans have suffered far worse in their history and had lots of kids. Under Japanese occupation they still had lots of kids.
It’s Complicated 😮
Than😂 why u spent a lot in plastic surgery
@@michaelashby9654You are right. Foreigners should massively occupy South Korea and birth rate shall go up.
@@michaelashby9654nationalism is a hell of a driver. It is different from the current Joseon Hell that leads to hopelesness.
I grew up from a rural place but did everything to move to a city, be a professional, and live the dream. I thought this is what I wanted. It is too tiring. You can't even enjoy your coffee in the morning. I am now fixing my debts and would hopefully finish paying them in 2 years. I plan to resign by then, go back to the province where I came from, live a simple and quiet life alone, and travel from time to time. I am single at 36, I have a house and a car, and savings on my bank accounts in preparation for future travels and getting old. But no, I have no plans of having a family. I don't think I can afford it. I will have to work until I get old if I choose to. It's not only in south korea, even here in the philippines, it is expensive to raise a child.
Because they're obsessed with Brands, Life style and beauty standards.
And absolutely correct on their brand obsession. They literally have a docu series showing the designer brands markets that sell fake designer clothes. That's a big thing.
일자리가 지방에 없다고요
Agree
The same say Russian wives who married Korean men and have two children.
Insane beauty standards and lack of mental health awareness.
Why can’t Korean companies allow for work-from-home? Are the bosses afraid of losing power? That might help repopulate the countryside!
My guess is that it would be impossible culturewise for now
It's a corporate cultural problem that looks down on remote working. Companies want their employees to show up in the offices. It's too bad, because Korea can leverage its excellent internet infrastructure with cloud working, to fix the overconcentration in Seoul due to employment opportunities. If they simply allowed their workers to live anywhere in the country while still being employed online with companies in Seoul, it would instantaneously fix the problem of Seoul sucking the life out of the rest of the country.
I know are there no computers or internet. I hoped with Covid people would get family time and end this nonsense.
You can't even leave the work place before your boss leaves, don't think they'd trust people working fully remote
No, most popular companies offer remote work systems.Especially, IT companies. However, it can be difficult for manufacturing companies, but it depends on the job.
I remember being on a bus from the countryside to Seoul, and I saw a lot of empty and abandoned buildings / villages on the way. So I guess it is a really big problem there.
Who will be Korea's plumbers, electricians, HVAC techs, farmers...? These professions are crucial for any society.
That's pretty intense. Here in Germany, the problem of rural exodus isn't as pronounced, except in the rural regions of the East, which are literally dying out because all the younger people are moving to big cities. After college, I decided to stay near my town of 75,000 people in the countryside because the advantages outweigh the disadvantages (I calculated I'd earn at most 20% more in a big city and would have had to commute a lot because rents are unaffordable and I don't want to have to spend a lot of my free time on the train or in the car). During the pandemic, many people moved back to rural areas, causing rents here to skyrocket. I'm looking for a new apartment, and it's no longer affordable for me. I'm might being forced to move back to the nearest city because, oddly enough, rents are cheaper there.
Very sad to me that Busan is dying. I hope it can stay vibrant as long as possible.. I can't believe that it has twice as many people over 65 to that of 20s or 30s.
SK will do what the rest of the world did and start mass importing immigrants.
The images of the rural areas in Korea look so beautiful and green. Perhaps, responsible ecoturism could be a way of bringing interest and resources back into the countryside.
As an outsider looking at Seoul I was slightly disappointed with the rapid destruction of old neighbourhoods and the rapid growth of high-rises, stripping away a lot of the uniqueness and visual appeal of the city but I understand the need to house all the new people and the people to come. I hope they are able to solve the population issues but other countries with more flexible mindsets have not managed to do so.
China is successfully moving people away from coastal cities to the interior.
Exactly. The western mindset is clearly taking over. Imagine destroying cultural and heritage buildings over modern shining its sacrilege
I have friends who have left Korea to seek a better work life balance. The pressure there is immense & it is not affordable to have children no matter how much govt assistance. The country is really a victim of its own success. It is still a paragon of success in Asia. But it is also a stark warning of what can happen to a country too.
In Seoul or Busan (and other cities) there are apartments that cost 20 million dollars(corrected in comments), and there are people living in floors below street level in the -1 with only one window. Fix this. Everyone needs a home, when basic needs and wealth distribution is fair, people will have babies.
In rural areas you can buy a house for just 100 $
@@user-fv3vq4qq7m don't lump me with your kind
@@baha3alshamari152 that's not the point being discussed in this video
@user-fv3vq4qq7m They don't allow immigrants, and bc of trade restrictions, they're struggling with poverty
Are you a communist or something? People Should slave away for mortgages for 50 years, without having kids or personal time!
i use to watch 2 days and 1 night (a korean variety show) where they would travel around the countryside, and in a few episodes they hang out with elderly people and mention the population decline
Nah, this is a worldwide issue. Living is so expensive, no one wants to make children.
They're a waste of money.
The good thing about some people not having kids is that this kind of negative attitude gets erased from the gene pool. Love how nature works.
Here is a fun fact for you. Almost all countries except for underdeveloped nations like Africa and India have below replacement level birth rates.
That means the population will shrink drastically by 2100. When the population shrinks, the economy shrinks.
Anyone with basic common sense knows a shrinking economy is bad news. Lesser jobs, lower salaries, less services, higher taxes, you name it.
I don't know about you but I would not want to be part of that world. I am sure glad I won't be around for that mess.
That is not even considering the climate catastrophe that will hit hard by 2050.
So, hey good luck to your children and your grandchildren. I am sure they will be super happy to inherit all that mess.
at least someone who thinks like you and might mistreat kids has the choice to not have them lmao
You are a waste of money.
@@truongtran-yr8ew and you are not? What have you done in your life that is so important for humanity?
22:43 Of course money will work. Give every couple a free apartment in Gangnam if they have 2 babies. I guarantee you will see birth rate jump back to normal level. $1400 helps nothing for their financial burden. It is just a token gesture which can't even cover 2 months of private tuition fee.
This bonus helps the rich get richer because they have more money to spend on holidays when they will have baby anyway regardless of any bonus.
👍
Who's going to foot in the bills tho? The govt would go bankrupt just simply handing out free condos. Wealth redistribution through fair pay and denormalization of competitive society are the keys.
Someone will have to pay for those apartments
@@wamnicho Of course. Someone has been paying for the $1400 for each baby as well. It's like poor working class, who won't be benefitted from the scheme, paying a nice holiday trip for the upper class. I am not saying giving out free apartments is practical, just want to emphasis there is no solution but don't say money won't work.
@@mariam-bk510 if money worked, we would have already seen the results
This is where the government policy can promote population in the rural area by building hospitals, affordable housing, government offices etc and incentives for private sectors to relocate their head offices to these smaller cities. Without job opportunities, accessible facilities and infrastructure to enable easy transportation around the town this issue will continue to snowball.
They’ve been creating countryside development for years with varied results. Still, people continue to flock to the bigger cities because of better education and job opportunities. The general mindset of people is still Seoul-centric. They place higher value for Seoul education (SKY school) and jobs in the countryside is not attractive unless you work for the big conglomerate.
urban areas by nature are fertility depressors. the stress, rush and price factors severely impede population growth. not to mention there is something about human sub conscious on reducing mouths when they are squashed in a very small area with a lot of people. rural areas are the fountain where population flows out.
Why is it so difficult to control housing prices?
It’s hard to explain but it will be not easy any time soon because government involved.
Over regulation and taxation of land and homes.
Since most people want to move to 1st tier cities, housing price is like a ticket, without which how can you decide who has the opportunity to live there?
I've seen this happen real time in India. People prefer living in slum like conditions in a city rather than a village. Purely because of jobs and opportunities. Mind you everything in cities costs more even if you are living in a pig pen and eating packaged food. The modern capitalist system encourages and even normalizes this.
I would like to share my experience as a new home owner in Seoul.
It honestly comes to a lot of luck and a lot of work from my husband and myself. The sleepless nights, the lack of enjoyment and the sacrifice on top of being lucky to have people around us who gave us opportunities to get well payed jobs has allowed us to be in debt for 50 years for an apartment in Seoul....
For Koreans, they know that if they stay in the countryside, there are very few jobs, very few facilities and without making money you cannot survive. I'm in my later 30s and my husband in his mid 40s now.
Home ownership is very hard when you start buying your first home now. If you did it 10 years ago, now you are a millionaire...
Maybe housing is cheaper in smaller cities
very thorough doco on this topic, heaps well reported. i wonder what the burden on the healthcare system will look like in the next coming decades- quality and quantity of healthcare staff, accessibility, meeting demands etc. also funny how none of the experts interviewed were women, says something in itself about the norms and opportunities available
So who is going to grow their food if there is no next generation of farmers etc in the rural areas? That will just drive up their food and cost of living too. What a major problem..
I did work in South Korea, and all the young people live in Seoul, not much in other states. That is why I keep seeing older people when I visit Busan. 2019
Currently in Busan on holiday in Korea, and the amount of elderly people here is insane. Not used to it in my home country but it’s crazy. They are very friendly through 😊
I don't see the reason to be alarmed about low fertility rates anywhere in this world. South Koreans in particular are very highly educated and they know it's a bad idea to bring children if they know that they cannot provide a stable household. The highly competitive job market, expensive housing market, and generally high cost of living means that there is general high demand for low supply. What is needed is a correction which is already happening. Once there are fewer home buyers, the housing prices will fall as housing stock goes up. Once there are less workers, employers will have to be less picky on who to hire and offer higher compensation packages. Once demand for goods fall because of lower population, prices will have to fall as well.
And when prices fall, salaries and wages fall, business downsize and there’s less demand for new employees and then we are back to square one 😂
@@wamnichoat least earth can breath.
@@alfi-il7be you think Africans will stop breeding because Koreans have stopped “to help earth breath” they will come and take over those lands, that’s how the law of nature works
None of that replaces human beings. Policies need to be deliberately designed to encourage FAMILY LIFE
and to make life in rural areas attractive.
@@wamnicho well, our species have adapted to things much worse than some failing capitalist economy, we will be fine. It's the alarmists like yourself that make me laugh. In your world its all ruined if our perfect capitalist system won't be able to continue being exploited. On the other hand i say our species will find a new solution for our economic systems. Once we stop tying our economies to infinite growth, failing birth rates will not phase us. Also remember that AI and automation are here to stay, so even if we were to have more babies now, where the hell would they work in your opinion? 😂 It's all natural and the way it should be. As we implement more machines, robots and technology, we shrink our population size because we don't need huge amounts of people anymore. Also people will be wealthier on average because the resources will be split among in less fragments than before. I see only positive changes for our future with the falling population. Sure it's going to be rough for us, adults of today, but it's up to you to find a personal solution for yourself.
Korea: "Eat the young"
Then
Also Korea: "Why aren't you making more young people?"
Open Yonsei, Korea University in Busan. Put more fund over there than Seoul.
The whole prestigious university is another scam. Half of graduates from everywhere will be unemployed
i feel it's definitely not...
i think our country's been doing the utmost efforts to catch up with that...🥰🥰🥰🙏🙏
Meanwhile me as an african i am worried about my continents explosion in population when there is barely any development.
Y’all’s birth rate is declining too. Steel your culture… or or western progressivism will take your community as well.
Poverty Leads to Overpopulation and Economic Prosper brings Infertility………Countries needs to find balance like some of European countries have found like Swiss, Norway, Netherlands…
@@KhattaMeethaOficial Thats true.
@@KhattaMeethaOficial Khatta, your comment disparaging the worth of humans is bad.
@@earlysda It’s Just Facts Not my Judgement, Historically this is what been Happening …
They need to emphasize learning of trades. This university obsession is a mindset that is passé.
Should be easy to solve, just force the universities, big companies to relocate from Seoul to the surrounding cities.
I have no idea why the Korean Government is not in absolute panic mode. Rather than collapsing and having replacements every 2-4 months, South Korea is already far too deep into its problem.
There's a good chance their mostly gone in 2080 or 2100 and Japan is only 50-80 years away from following suit.
There was an explosion of wealth in the 60s and 70s that made these rural areas possible in the first place. As money gets harder to make and things become more expensive, people have to crowd around rich people(which is what cities are) and service them. Before that these rural areas were incredibly poor and backwards. So while this is a shock to modern people, this is really just a return to normal. The birthrate is affected because people are conditioned to expect a certain lifestyle, not because raising or educating a child is expensive. Mental health, despair etc all stem from this.
This is an interesting take. Do you have a book or paper you could point to that I could read more about it?
If this video is made about Singapore, it would be 'Is Singapore To Blame for Singapore's Population Crisis?".
Native Malay have bigger brith rate than Descendants of immigrants such as Chinese and Indians
No one bothers about sg really.. 😂 stop making urself relevant.. u immigrants.. 😅
Singapore doesn't actually have a population crisis like Korea/Japan, since the country here is the only one that is very open to immigration. All the potential population decline in Singapore is offset by the population increase from all the immigrants coming in.
Meanwhile Korea/Japan can't solve this problem the same way due to their homogeneity in society. It's also harder when you need learn their native language whereas in Singapore everyone just needs know English
The country isn’t called “Seoul”.
@@danielbenner7583 It's is a joke. Since Singapore is not just a city but also its own country. Just like Monaco.
This is extremely sad. They should be acting with much more urgency.
It might be too late! 😢
Why all the guys have the same hairstyle
The emphasis is on belonging to a crowd, not standing out.
Koreans are largely "sheep". Do one and then do All.
@@muhammadfakhrurrozi9613 they are all sheep. That's why
Because they look good on them duh
Beauty standard in korea has led to people having same hairstyle, jawline and etc.
I lived in South Korea for 9 years , my kids born over there but I saw pressure for kids , office culture , i feel everything is connected . many of my office korean workers are like they dont want to get married and many are singles in there 40's. Korean hierarchical culture in office and everywhere making everything worst. That was the main reason I moved from there. its so toxic
Good choice!
I left Korea 46 years ago and feel lucky! ❤
Developed countries & some developing countries become developed are facing the aging population & low birthrate terms of uncertain economy,highghiving cost,low payment salaries even I malaysian also same problem as the rest of other asian countries but thanks credit to politican & leaders for caused with heavy respondbilities
The era has already changed, if the government doesn’t create a good policy to boost birth then we can expect what kind of future will be. I think a sense of good community in rural areas must be started in the first place. More subsidy and government support for farming/ manufacturing, etc. The education cannot be concentrated in Seoul Univ only. This kind of stereotyping of good school is actually killing the young generation’s sense of self safisfaction towards life. Life itself is already challenging, don’t burden them even more
It feels and sounds so depressing knowing that the moment you were born, you were already destined for a specific place.
As an American who grew up in a small town working on farms went to college for farming and then I got into agricultural technology startups and for better opportunities I had to live in a pretty big city for 5 or 6 years and it was good in some ways but I pretty much hated it once I sold my company I moved back to where my friends had a farm in rural northern New York and I have found just as much opportunity here with very low cost of living in housing and no young people because they all move to the city There are huge opportunities to take over businesses because all the family members of the businesses left to go to the city for more opportunity. Most are really struggling in the city because it's extremely expensive housing wise and just all cost of living in the job market is extremely competitive a percentage will compete and do extremely well many others will not get ahead.
I always said I'd rather be a big fish in a small pond than a small fish in a big pond.
It seems like South Korea should try to relocate a lot of these major industries, companies, and schools to other parts of the country, especially the rural areas. Also make society less competitive, address women's issues, and expand healthcare for the elderly, families, and children.
Totally agree! 😂
Decentralize Everything!!! Money, Manufacturing, Education, Construction and Infrastructure....... Stop building up and start building out....
At least, despite the balance tipping heavily towards Seoul, the rest of South Korea is still first world by international standards. Meanwhile in the Philippines, Manila is very similar to Seoul being the center of everything, but the rest of the country sadly is still very much third world despite the Philippines having a head start in terms of development.
Interestingly Japan’s birth rates are higher and home prices are lower, I wonder is there a correlation.
Japan is pretty low too
Japan's birth rate is low as well comparable to SK.
This explains Japan's lower house costs (th-cam.com/video/geex7KY3S7c/w-d-xo.html , th-cam.com/video/d6ATBK3A_BY/w-d-xo.html ) TLDR it's a combination of very good zoning laws along with depopulation. The Vienna model is increasingly becoming popular as well in context of implementing affordable housing policies.
@@aerithofmyoreVienna model not working either since Austria has extremely low birth rates too, in fact below the already very low European average
The severe misogyny against women
Please consider adding audio translation when interviewing in foreign language for people who like to listen to news in the background. I kept having to stop doing things just to read the tiny subtitle.
All 1st world countries face the same problem .....why because of governments wants GDP so benefitting them, does this proceeding benefits peoples.
70% of voters are over 40 years old As a 70 year old politician You will provide policies that benefit older people.Such as increasing taxes for young people to give as pension money and improving health for older people.
@@carkawalakhatulistiwa Can you elaborate other than taxing, what governments can do to better improve the wellbeing of peoples….
alan, your statement is observably wrong.
@@earlysda What is your support ?
@@carkawalakhatulistiwa Please specify ?
The problem is also the South Korean government. They don't fund other cities except Seoul. If they don't change city funding to build up other cities like Busan, Daegu, Gwangju etc the country will face a housing bubble that will eventually cause the country to go into a deep recession. Not enough jobs are being generated anywhere except Seoul and businesses are either moving to Seoul or removing locations in other cities
Is the same in Vietnam everyone is trying to come to Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh city. But at least, we have 2 cities to divide. Overcrowded cities, properties skyrocketting, air pollution and traffic jams are widespread
And many koreans moving there for luxurios life they cant afford in Korea
I wish there was an interview with a younger person living in the rural area. Although they touched on it, it would have been nice to hear from an actual person about their experience and why they are still living in the country side
Two extremes. From the pressures of We to the freedom of Me. From We to Me culture. Where’s the balance? The solution can’t swing from one extreme to the other, you end up with the same problem.
Korean government should make housing, education and healthcare cheaper using policies, programs & tax laws so that young couples marry early and start a family. This is the only way to stop population decline and bring in population & economic growth. Nothing else will work. 3:50
The need to encourage farming to young people, so rural areasget some boost. What are they going to eat in the future?
There is no money in farming. The work is back-breaking.
Young people: I have to be in Seoul because that's where the companies are.
Company: I have to be in Seoul because that's where the young people are.
Sounds like a problem that can be solved. Just give incentives to companies to relocate and people will follow.
Sounds like a good plan!❤
그것을 하려먼, 우선 명문 대학교와 입시학원들을 지방으로 분산시켜야합니다. 기업과 젊은이들이 서울에 모이는 이유는 바로 교육이거든요. 근데 만약 누군가 서울의 교육 시설들을 지방으로 옮긴다고 주장한다면, 수도권의 2600만 시민들이 그것을 지지해줄까요?
They make living in korea so cool in k shows then a vid like this comes and you thank God for knowing that country only through samsung and k dramas and not through being born and live there
다큐멘터리 보세요.사회 문제 다룬 드라마도 많아요. 멋지게 만드는건 문제가 안되고 드라마를 진짜라고 믿으니까 그런거지
Every country is like this lol.. pros and cons. Some people succeed and some don't. That's just life kid.
@@뀨-k5zTrue. Drama is for entertainment. Why make connection to reality? Also there are many dramas that showcases social issues.
Most of the dramas I've watched tackle bad issues. Actually the recent dramas portray them.
Exactly they portray it very well. And at least Top from Big Bang was HONEST about saying he didn't like south korea. And for many a reason as to what he was dealing with and seeing going on. The rest deed us the lie.
Families should stop expecting too much from their children... Unfortunately that drives the people out far too much...
19:24 while the Philippines, India and other underdeveloped countries are multiplying at an alarming rate
No India is Developed already
@@Komdej100 you must be a comedian
Definitely not India. The fertility rate here is just below the replacement level (2.1) now and is expected to drop further.
Birth rate is india is dropping significantly....government chopped the 2 child policy..since it has it's disadvantages china is facing...birth rate will going down in rapid speed that government is also worried
The Silicone Valley in California exists thanks to Stanford University. Boston continues to be admired and respected thanks to the best and brightest of Harvard. The brains of a country cannot be at a single location. I guess the CEOs of Samsung and Kia were too busy making money. Seoul may look alive and strong and attractive to others. It reminds me of Charlie Chaplin movies about man and machine. I don’t envy the young and feel sorry for the middle aged. As for the over 65 they are fortunate because Korea has beautiful Nature. Be at home with nature-that’s the secret of Happiness for any human.
This is a great example of how network affects can be extremely powerful in lead to a almost non-stoppable feedback loop...
Humanity should take careful note of South Korea's dire demographic predicament. This is the natural by-product of hyper-capitalism, hyper-competitiveness, hyper-consumerism, and hyper-individualism. Marriage rates plummet. Fertility and birth rates plummet. Soon, the nation, people, and society will disintegrate and fall apart.
I used to teach in a rural area in Seoul most of my schools 90+ percent of them used to tell me they want to move to Seoul for university and they want to establish their lives in Seoul when they are financially stable.
humans are instictively wanted to have a family and reproduce if they're living a good and happy life. this should not be a question when the government of that country is obviously the main contributing factor to the population crisis issue. population crisis is the most direct result of poor quality society and governance as a whole. the country itself could be doing better or more wealthy than some other countries but this doesn't mean that the people are living a better quality life than others so the country itself doing well is not the best measurement to evaluate their actual performance from a citizen's standpoint.
It seems like the Korean government only focuses on developing Seoul... there are even lots of promotions to attract tourists to Seoul... but not other areas... the government must promote areas in South Korea other than Seoul, Jeju and Busan
They are trying now but this is the not exactly addressing the root of the problem. Gender equality and drastic cultural and mindset change are what’s needed for young people to feel more freedom and adapt a more natural way of lifestyle with less pressure from the society.
Filipinos thought Seoul as a perfect city. Most of the Filipinos never thought that the most expensive part Gangnam got flooded as well 😂😂😂
Its more perfect than any Filipino city
@@BarryBigbols Not at all sorry to disappoint you haha
😓😓😓😓
@@BarryBigbolslol i never get the idea in living in a space crammed with people and buildings
It could be perfect city Or worst in the other hands. I love Seoul, but I gotta admit that it’s not easy to survive financially to live there
Uk too. Jobs are mostly London or Manchester based. They don’t even focus on Birmingham the second largest city. If I want to succeed I need to move to London.
We in third world country are admiring first world countries but they themselves have their own problem
More money more problems
Fortunately in Singapore we a a city state and it's not too far to get around the whole Singapore. We won't have this issue but we also have the issue of low birth rate.
I think there should be a price ceiling for real estate prices, they should not be allowed to overprofit
There is an easy fix to not let real estate prices grow, don't limit the housing supply. It is as simple as that.
If you allow to build houses anywhere and everywhere, demand and supply will match and there won't be any need for controlling housing prices.
This is the case everywhere, any country on earth can fix their soaring real estate prices by allowing more construction of houses and increasing housing supply. Prices rise because of high demand and low availability.
@@Lalit-yw2tb
Yes I agree with you. It’s all about the supply.
@@Lalit-yw2tb why would they built a lot of houses, when the population is already declining.. like whose buying that.. it's more likely that would be empty like there's a lot of empty real estate in china
This is when economic growth is EXCLUSIVE.
Why not Increase corporate property tax in Seoul and give tax subsidies for corporate to diversify into country sides for every headcount. My 2 cents
Because the chaebol owns SK govt. Not the other way around.
I have the same thought, but i think it will cycle back. The tax will be paid by the Seoul people, causing higher living cost, and birth rate decline even faster. People still can't leave Seoul because there is 'nothing' out there. City people is getting harder to feel 'satisfied', in term of entertainment, fulfilment, etc. I would say it's more like a drug addict, there's just 'more things' in the city. Or like the adrenaline hit, people want more exciting things in the city.
@@aaron-channel if there's population then entrepreneurs will set up businesses there. Takes time but definitely need the conglomerate to shift the businesses there to kick start. No jobs no population issue from what I understand from the video. The previous reply make sense, the chaebol owns SK gov.