Kim Jong Un focused on the vital role of women in strengthening the nation through childbirth and child-rearing. He emphasized that preventing a decline in birth rates and ensuring proper childcare are responsibilities that everyone should undertake, especially mothers.
In his address, the North Korean leader highlighted the significant role that mothers play in shaping the future of the country. He stated that all mothers should fulfill their responsibilities and duties with confidence and optimism for the future socialist and communist society. Kim Jong Un emphasized that mothers have a crucial mission to raise their children as pillars of socialist and communist construction and as masters of the future society.
According to data from South Korea’s government statistics agency, North Korea’s total fertility rate was 1.79 in 2022, showing a decrease from 1.88 in 2014. Despite this decline, North Korea’s fertility rate remains higher than that of South Korea, which recorded a rate of 0.78 in 2022, a significant drop from 1.20 in 2014.
South Korea’s low fertility rate is attributed to various factors such as a struggling job market, a competitive educational system, limited childcare support, and a work culture that makes it challenging for women to balance careers and family life.
Observers note that despite being one of the poorest countries globally, North Korea’s demographic trends are similar to those in wealthier nations. Many families in North Korea choose to have only one child due to the financial burden of raising and educating them.Experts also suggest that the influence of South Korean TV dramas and movies, which portray elevated social status for women, has likely impacted North Korean women’s family planning decisions.North Korea has a history of birth control programs dating back to the 1970s and 1980s aimed at controlling population growth after the war. The country’s fertility rate saw a significant drop following a famine in the mid-1990s, which resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths.
In response to the declining birth rates, the North Korean government has introduced benefits for families with three or more children. These incentives include free housing, state subsidies, complimentary food, medicine, household goods, and educational advantages for children.
South Korea’s statistics agency estimates North Korea’s population at 25.7 million. However, experts predict a population decline starting from 2034, with an expected decrease to 23.7 million by 2070.
Some experts speculate that Kim Jong Un’s frequent public appearances with his young daughter, Ju Ae, are part of efforts to encourage larger families. Others suggest that these appearances could be a strategic move to position her as a potential heir to her father.