• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.113-136
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• 2010

Low fertility has become quite commonplace worldwide, and Europe has experienced below replacement fertility for several decades. In addition, lowest-low fertility, defined as period total fertility rate below 1.3, has rapidly spread in Europe during the 1990s and is likely to expand further. After the turn of century, lowest-low fertility started spreading in Eastern Asia. Korea's TFR of 1.19 in 2008 is lower than most European countries, although it is higher than the Hongkong(1.02) and Taiwan(1.09). The purpose of this paper is to examine the socioeconomic determinants of lowest-low fertility in Korea. In doing so, this paper discusses the effects of female labour force participation, labour instability on family formation and fertility. The data includes female labour force participation rate, unemployment rate, age at first marriage, and total fertility rate from 1980 to 2008. First, the economic recession hindered young people's economic independence and propensity to marry. Married couples were also depressed with uncertainty toward the future and avoided to have children. Second, the growth in female labor force participation had a negative impact on fertility, under the low level of compatibility between women's work and childrearing. Moreover, this paper argues that the rising cost of children including public and private educational costs is thought to be the main reason of the recent low fertility in Korea. Policy implications and some comments on population policies are also presented in the final section.

• Proceedings of the Population Association of Korea Conference
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• 2006.12a
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• pp.131-152
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• 2006

This study examines the causal mechanisms of low fertility and regional differentials in Korea. Utilizing the 2005 census and the 2005 vital statistics, and labor statistics at the regional level, major variables were calculated for administrative units of 234 'Gu's, 'Si's and 'Gun's. Gender equity orientation, labor market insecurity and family formation were hypothesized as key factors of recent decline in Korean fertility. This study first presents four maps of gender equity orientation, labor market insecurity, family formation and fertility. Then ANOVA and path analysis were carried out in an effort to generalize the causal mechanisms. Results of analysis reveal that gender equity orientation has played a central role in the second fertility transition in Korea. In metropolitan regions, however, labor market insecurity is found to have a significant influence on the level of family formation and fertility. Family formation also turns out to be an important intermediate variable of fertility.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.97-110
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• 2012

The sharp decline of fertility in industrialized countries since the 19th century constitutes a major problem for evolutionary approaches to human behavior. Why would people voluntarily reduce their total number of offspring, despite the fact that resources are so abundant in modern times? Here I review three evolutionary hypotheses for low fertility in modern societies, and discuss how the evolutionary perspective could shed new light on solving the problem of low fertility in Korea. Low fertility may be 1) a maladaptive outcome from the mismatch between our ancestral environments and evolutionarily novel environments, 2) a consequence of gene-culture coevolution where traits that reduce genetic fitness can still spread through a population as a result of imitation, especially if the traits are expressed by high-status people, or 3) an adaptation that maximize parents' long-term genetic fitness in knowledge-based industrialized societies where high parental investment is required for rearing competitive offspring. Based on these considerations, I suggest how the evolutionary explanations of low fertility can be applied to increasing the birth rate in Korea.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.335-352
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• 2024

Purpose - Low fertility rate is a serious problem, and this study analyzes factors affecting total fertility rate using panel data from 16 metropolitan cities and provinces in Korea from 2000 to 2022. Design/methodology/approach - Estimating the SAR model considering the weak cross-sectional dependence that exists in variables related to the regional total fertility rate, and using the DKSE estimation method considering the strong cross-sectional dependence. Findings - Estimation results considering weak and strong cross-sectional dependence were similar, confirming the robustness of the results. Female labor force participation rate has a positive effect on total fertility rate, and employment rate has no effect. However, the interaction term is a negative (-) sign. Crude marriage rate has a positive effect on total fertility rate, and apartment price has a slightly positive effect. Environmental factor has no effect, and policy factor has a negative effect. Research implications or Originality - In order for an increase in the female labor force participation rate to lead to an increase in the total fertility rate, qualitative improvements in female employment must be made. Financial investment policies for childbirth must increase their effectiveness. The problem of low fertility rate requires not only population policy but also social, economic, cultural, environmental, and policy conditions to be considered.

• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.139-164
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• 2009

The first demographic transition refers to the historical decline in mortality and fertility, as shown from the 18th Century in several European populations, and continuing present in most developing countries. The end point of the first demographic transition(FDT) was supposed to be a stationary and stable population corresponding with replacement fertility and zero population growth. In addition, households in all parts of the world would converge toward the nuclear and conjugal types, composed of married couples and their offspring. The second demographic transition(SDT), on the other hand, sees no such equilibrium as the end-point. Rather, new developments bring sub-replacement fertility, a multitude of living arrangements other than marriage, and the disconnection between marriage and procreation. Populations would face declining sizes if not complemented by new migrants. Over the last decades birth rates have been on the decline in all countries of the world, and it is estimated that already more than half of he world's population has below replacement level fertility. Measured in terms of the Total Fertility Rate (TFR), currently 34 countries have fertility levels of 1.5 or less. Similarly, Korea has been below lowest-low fertility for eight consecutive years since 2001 and below the replacement level for more than twenty years. In explaining the low fertility in Korea, some researchers explain the low fertility as revenge against a male-dominated society and institution, while others focus the impact of the employment instability. These studies share the basic ideas (spread of individualism, delayed marriage and childbearing, high divorce rate etc.) of a second demographic transition in order to explain the low fertility in Korea.

• Journal of Korean Home Economics Education Association
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.147-164
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• 2014

This study aimed to explore the effects of population education on university male female students' recognition of population education and low fertility and aged society. The subjects were 71 university students(male: 36, female: 35) participating in population education program. The data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, paired t test and two-way ANOVA with repeated measures. The main results of this study were as follows. Firstly, population education led to positive changes in university students' recognition of population education and of low fertility and aged society. Specifically, after taking the population education courses, students' levels of knowledge on population education contents and on foreign domestic policies related to low fertility and aged society increased. Secondly, there were students' sex differences in the effect of population education on recognition of population education and low fertility and aged society. For only female students, there were significantly positive changes in realization of the seriousness of low fertility and aged society, in recognition of importance of population education, work-family reconciliation and child-care centers to solve the issues of low fertility and aged societies, in knowledge levels of foreign domestic policies related to low fertility and aged society, and in awareness of family of small members(ex. single families). Finally, based on the results, the roles of Home Economics Education were suggested in population education.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.141-151
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• 2013

The purpose of this study is to test the economic rationality hypothesis of the low fertility trap among 412 college students at 13 private universities located in Seoul. The respondents were requested to complete the self-administered questionnaire, and the hierarchical multiple regression analyses were performed for analyzing the data. The major findings of this study were as follows: First, the students' views on the prospects for their future employability were 54.6% for big business, 64.51% for medium-sized business, and 49.63% for public sector. In the most employable job, the mean desired monthly salary was 3,505,400 won, while the mean expected monthly salary 2,753,600 won. Second, hierarchical regression analyses revealed that the family income in parental home was positively related to youths' consumption aspirations. Finally, the gap between youths' consumption aspirations and their expected income was negatively related to their desired number of children, while not significantly related to their planned age of first child birth. Thus, the low fertility trap hypothesis was supported in terms of birth rate drop, but not supported in terms of childbearing postponement. The implications of the study results are discussed.

• The Korean Journal of Applied Statistics
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.677-692
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• 2018

The total fertility rate of Korea was 1.05 in 2017, showing a return to the 1.08 level in the year 2005. 1.05 is a very low fertility level that is far from replacement level fertility or safety zone 1.5. The number may indicate a low fertility trap. It is therefore important to predict fertility than at any other time. In the meantime, we have predicted the age-specific fertility rate and total fertility rate by various statistical methods. When the data trend is disconnected or fluctuating, it applied a nonparametric method applying the smoothness and weight. In addition, the Bayesian method of using the pre-distribution of fertility rates in advanced countries with reference to the three-stage transition phenomenon have been applied. This paper examines which method is reasonable in terms of precision and feasibility by applying estimation, forecasting, and comparing the results of the recent variability of the Korean fertility rate with parametric, non-parametric and Bayesian methods. The results of the analysis showed that the total fertility rate was in the order of KOSTAT's total fertility rate, Bayesian, parametric and non-parametric method outcomes. Given the level of TFR 1.05 in 2017, the predicted total fertility rate derived from the parametric and nonparametric models is most reasonable. In addition, if a fertility rate data is highly complete and a quality is good, the parametric model approach is superior to other methods in terms of parameter estimation, calculation efficiency and goodness-of-fit.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.44 no.11
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• pp.1-12
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• 2006

The purpose of this study was to examine how married women with a child perceived the low-fertility issue in order to increase the success of policy decisions for increasing the fertility rate and to present alternatives. The study subjects were 327 married women with a child who resided in Dongjak-gu, Seoul. After the survey was conducted, the collected data were analyzed with SPSS 11.5 program. The findings of the study were as follows. First, the married women who already had one child found it ideal to have two children. In fact, however, 36.4% had determined not to have another child, and only one parent wanted to have a second child in 26.9%. Second, they took a dismal view of the government's fertility encouragement policies, and they considered it necessary for the government to pursue a more down-to-earth measure. Third, economic aid for child rearing and education was identified as the most critical way to boost the childbirth rate. In conclusion, current national policies aimed at increasing the low-fertility rate are redundant if they are only designed to publicize government action. Actions need to be taken to assist married women in taking better advantage of the existing policies.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.15-23
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• 2020

This study aimed to analyze effects of non-regular employment rate and female employment rate on fertility rate in OECD county. We adopted dynamic panel model after classifying OECD county to high and low fertility rate. The results of analysis showed that the higher non regular employment rate, the lower female employment rate, and the lower economy growth rate decrease fertility rate especially in low fertility rate country. While, only the higher house rental decrease in high fertility country. This results indicate that low fertility country including Korea should improve a labor policy such as strengthening employment security and encouraging female employment to increase fertility rate.