7 in 10 women cite child-rearing, pregnancy as reasons for career break (Yonhap/19 Nov 2024)

Yonhap reports that nearly 7 in 10 married women in South Korea aged 15-54 have experienced career breaks due to child-rearing, pregnancy, or marriage, with 1.22 million women leaving the workforce in 2024. Long interruptions of over 10 years are common. This trend aligns with South Korea's record-low fertility rate of 0.72 in 2023, as many delay or avoid parenthood. Despite government childcare support, these efforts have yet to reverse declining birth rates.