January 2025 Recap

January 2025 saw continued efforts to address South Korea's demographic crisis, with new government policies, societal trends, and shifting attitudes toward family and work-life balance.

Key Highlights:

• Seoul’s Birth Rate Investment: The city committed 3.2 trillion won to boost birth rates, offering housing subsidies, childcare discounts, and expanded daycare services, alongside wedding expense support for newlyweds.

• Government-Backed Remote Work for Parents: Pregnant public employees must now work from home once a week, with similar flexibility encouraged for parents of young children.

• University Mergers Due to Low Enrollment: Declining birth rates have led to university mergers, particularly outside Seoul, with institutions shifting toward vocational programs to survive, raising concerns over academic diversity.

• AI as a Solution to Demographic Decline: The government is promoting AI development to address labor shortages caused by low birth rates, investing in automation, robotics, and business-friendly policies.

• Population Study to Guide Birth Rate Policies: Statistics Korea launched a Population Dynamics Panel to track how economic and social factors influence marriage and childbirth decisions.

• The 4B Movement Gains Traction: A growing number of women are rejecting dating, marriage, and childbirth due to economic struggles and gender inequality, further impacting birth rates.