‘2/3 of Korea will disappear’: South Korea could lose 70% of its population by 2100. What’s wrong?
Produced by: Manoj Kumar
Population Crisis
South Korea’s fertility rate plummeted to the world’s lowest, threatening a two-thirds population drop by the century’s end.
Engineered Decline
Fertility control policies in the 1960s initiated the drop, but the decline spiraled beyond expectations after the 1980s.
Gender Divide
A stark imbalance in household responsibilities and anti-feminist sentiment fuels discontent, with many women rejecting marriage.
Career Overload
A 2023 survey found parenting burdens deter women from having children, despite government incentives.
Marriage Shift
Only 2.5% of children in South Korea are born outside marriage, but attitudes toward traditional unions are rapidly changing.
Migrant Brides
Foreign women, especially from Vietnam, increasingly marry rural South Korean men but face unique employment and cultural challenges.
Elon’s Warning
Tesla CEO Elon Musk highlighted the crisis on X, warning, “2/3 of Korea will disappear every generation. Population collapse.”
Equality Battle
South Korea ranks low on global gender equality indexes, further alienating women from traditional family roles.
Immigration Struggles
Unlike Western countries, South Korea’s low immigration rates exacerbate its declining population problem.