South Korea and Japan are taking proactive steps to combat their declining birth rates, which have reached critical levels in recent years. South Korea's President announced plans to establish a new Ministry of Low Birth Rate Counter-planning to address what he described as a 'national emergency.' The country's fertility rate, currently at a record low of 0.72, is well below the replacement level of 2.1 children per woman.
Similarly, Japan is also grappling with a shrinking population and an aging society. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida recently warned that Japan's social functions could be at risk due to the falling birth rate. In response, the government launched the Child and Families Agency to focus on improving children's health and welfare, supporting families, and addressing the root causes of the declining birth rate.
