Has South Korea's birth rate bottomed out? Q1 sees major rebound in births
For the first time in years, South Korea is seeing signs of a turnaround in its record-low birth rate. According to new data released by Statistics Korea on Wednesday, the number of babies born in the first quarter of 2025 rose by 7.3 percent compared to the same period last year.
That makes it the highest first-quarter increase recorded since the agency began tracking the figure in 1981.
From January to March, 65,022 babies were born, up from 60,571 a year earlier. March alone saw 21,041 births, a 6.8 percent increase year-on-year, reversing a decadelong trend of decline for that month. The current rebound marks nine consecutive months of rising birth numbers, beginning in July 2024.
The total fertility rate, the average number of children a woman is expected to have over her lifetime, also saw a modest rise. It reached 0.82 in the first quarter of 2025, up from 0.77 the year before. Though still far below the population replacement level of 2.1, it is the highest quarterly figure recorded since early 2022.
Statistics Korea clarified that although the rate matched the 0.82 seen in the first quarter of 2023, this year's figure was slightly higher when calculated to the third decimal point.
The uptick in births appears closely tied to a rise in marriages. In the first quarter, 58,704 couples tied the knot, up 8.4 percent from the same period last year. March alone saw 19,181 marriages, the highest for that month since 2020.
Park Hyun-jung, director of population trends at Statistics Korea, explained that about 95 percent of births in South Korea happen within marriage.
'An increase in marriages, combined with a larger population of women in their 30s and a more positive perception of having children, all appear to be contributing to the recent rebound,' she said.
Still, South Korea continues to have the lowest fertility rate in the world. In 2023, it dropped to just 0.721, prompting concern and coverage across global media including BBC and CNN.
In a televised documentary aired that year by Korea's public educational broadcaster EBS, American legal scholar Joan C. Williams, a professor emerita at the University of California, called the numbers 'unheard of,' adding, 'South Korea is totally doomed.'
mjh@heraldcorp.com
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Korea Herald
3 days ago
- Korea Herald
The implosion of a powerful political alliance: Trump and Musk in their own words
Last Friday, President Donald Trump heaped praise on Elon Musk as the tech billionaire prepared to leave his unorthodox White House job. Less than a week later, their potent political alliance met a dramatic end Thursday when the men attacked each other with blistering epithets. Trump threatened to go after Musk's business interests. Musk called for Trump's impeachment. Here's a look at the implosion of their relationship in their own words. 'Today it's about a man named Elon. And he's one of the greatest business leaders and innovators the world has ever produced. He stepped forward to put his very great talents into the service of our nation and we appreciate it. Just want to say that Elon has worked tirelessly helping lead the most sweeping and consequential government reform program in generations.'— Trump, May 30, Oval Office remarks Trump invited cameras into the Oval Office last week to bid farewell to Musk, who said he was stepping away from his government work to focus on his businesses. Trump spoke effusively of Musk and his work with the Department of Government Efficiency for nearly 15 minutes straight. "I'll continue to be visiting here and be a friend and adviser to the president," Musk said. He marveled at the gold-tinged decorations Trump placed around the Oval Office. 'The oval office finally has the majesty that it deserves thanks to the president,' he said. 'I'm sorry, but I just can't stand it anymore. This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.' — Musk, Tuesday, post on X . Days after their Oval Office meeting, Musk escalated his previously restrained criticism of Trump's 'big, beautiful' budget bill, the president's top congressional priority. Still, he kept his critique focused on their policy disagreement. He did not go after Trump by name, even as he called on Republican lawmakers to vote down the bill and threatened political retribution against those who took Trump's side. 'In November next year, we fire all politicians who betrayed the American people,' Musk wrote on X. Uncharacteristically for a man who rarely lets a snub go unanswered, Trump did not respond. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Musk's views on the bill were not a surprise to Trump, and his social media posting 'doesn't change the president's opinion.' Musk continued Wednesday, approvingly sharing social media posts and memes that criticized the budget's price tag and deficit impacts, though still directing his ire at Congress. 'Elon and I had a great relationship. I don't know if we will anymore." — Trump, Thursday, Oval Office meeting with the German chancellor. Trump said he was 'very disappointed in Elon" and was surprised by his benefactor's criticism. The war of words escalated rapidly from there. It all played out on their respective social media platforms, with Musk posting on X and Trump on Truth Social. Musk dismissed Trump's criticism. 'Whatever,' he wrote. He shared old Trump social media posts urging lawmakers to oppose deficit spending and increasing the debt ceiling. 'Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate," Musk posted , a reference to Musk's record political spending last year, which topped $250 million. 'Such ingratitude,' he added . Trump said Musk had worn out his welcome at the White House and was mad that Trump was changing electric vehicle policies in ways that would financially harm Musk-led Tesla. 'Elon was 'wearing thin,' I asked him to leave, I took away his EV Mandate that forced everyone to buy Electric Cars that nobody else wanted (that he knew for months I was going to do!), and he just went CRAZY!' Trump wrote . He added : 'The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon's Governmental Subsidies and Contracts. I was always surprised that Biden didn't do it!' 'Time to drop the really big bomb: Trump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!' — Musk, Thursday, X post . In a series of posts, he shined a spotlight on ties between Trump and Jeffrey Epstein, the financier who killed himself while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges . Some loud voices in Trump's 'Make America Great Again' movement claim Epstein's suicide was staged by powerful figures, including prominent Democrats, who feared Epstein would expose their involvement in trafficking. Trump's own FBI leaders have dismissed such speculation and there's no evidence supporting it. Later, when an X user suggested Trump be impeached and replaced by Vice President JD Vance, Musk agreed. 'Yes,' he wrote .
Korea Herald
3 days ago
- Korea Herald
US keeps S. Korea on its 'monitoring list' for FX policy
The United States has kept South Korea on its list of countries to monitor for their foreign exchange policies, a Treasury Department report showed Thursday, as currency policy has been a topic in trade talks between Seoul and Washington. The department released the updated "monitoring list" in the semiannual "Report to Congress on Macroeconomic and Foreign Exchange Policies of Major Trading Partners of the United States." South Korea was put back on the list in November last year after it was excluded in November 2023 for the first time since April 2016. The latest monitoring list comprises South Korea, China, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Vietnam, Germany, Ireland and Switzerland. All except Ireland and Switzerland were on the list in the November 2024 report. The report ascribed South Korea's inclusion on the list to its bilateral trade surplus and material current account surplus. It pointed out that Korea's current account surplus increased considerably during the report period, reaching 5.3 percent in 2024, up from 1.8 percent a year prior -- a rise driven by the goods trade. It also said that Korea should continue to limit currency intervention to exceptional circumstances involving disorderly foreign exchange market conditions. The department vowed to use "all available tools" to implement strong countermeasures against "unfair" currency practices. "President Trump is committed to pursuing economic and trade policies that will spur an American revitalization marked by strong economic growth, the elimination of destructive trade deficits, and countering unfair trade practices," the report read. "This includes combating unfair currency practices that facilitate competitive advantage, such as unwarranted intervention in currency markets." US trading partners are put on the list when they meet two of the three criteria set by the US Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015, also known as the 2015 Act. The criteria are a bilateral trade surplus with the US of at least US$15 billion, a material current account surplus of at least 3 percent of gross domestic product and persistent, one-sided intervention in the foreign currency market for at least eight months during a year and with net purchases totaling at least 2 percent of an economy's GDP over a 12-month period. (Yonhap)
Korea Herald
4 days ago
- Korea Herald
Is foreign appetite for housing a threat to Korea?
Residential properties owned by foreign nationals surpass 100,000 in 2024 Foreign nationals are increasingly entering the housing market, and their growing presence is beginning to raise questions about the future of housing access, investment behavior and regulatory oversight. Over the past three years, the number of homes owned by foreign buyers has steadily increased, rising by 4 to 6 percent every six months. Recently, the trend reached a new milestone. As of late December, foreign nationals owned more than 100,000 housing units in South Korea — the first time the figure has crossed that threshold since the government began tracking it in 2022, according to data from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. Though these properties comprise only about 0.5 percent of South Korea's roughly 20 million housing units, the uptick has prompted questions about whether some purchases are being made for investment purposes rather than for residential use. Regulatory gaps for non-residents have also been a point of discussion. The available data provides a broad snapshot but leaves out key details. It does not distinguish between buyers who reside in Korea and those who may be investing from overseas. Nor does it track the motivations behind purchases — whether for long-term living, rental income or speculation. Foreign residents who have stayed in Korea for more than 90 days now number over 2 million, suggesting that, proportionally, foreign ownership remains relatively modest. Still, patterns within the data reveal some concentration. Chinese nationals accounted for the largest share of foreign-owned homes, followed by US and Canadian citizens. The capital region is by far the most popular area for foreign buyers. Nearly three-quarters of all foreign-owned homes are located in the greater Seoul area, with more than 23,000 properties situated within the city itself. Most foreign homeowners — about 93 percent — own just one home. However, a small number hold multiple properties, including 461 individuals who own five or more units, which some see as a potential sign of investment activity. As the trend continues, policymakers and analysts are watching closely, not because the numbers are overwhelming, but because of the broader implications — from housing availability to the effectiveness of existing oversight mechanisms. Dodging the rulebook Some argue that foreign nationals may have an easier time acquiring real estate in South Korea by securing financing from lenders in their home countries, a strategy that could allow them to bypass Korea's stringent loan regulations. Certified transcripts — documents required when purchasing land or housing in Korea — show instances of foreign buyers acquiring high-end properties at record-high prices, often paid in full with cash. 'Foreigners take out loans from overseas banks to purchase housing here, distorting the local real estate market,' said Kwon Dae-jung, a professor of real estate at Sogang University's Graduate School. Others, however, argue that the practice is likely limited in scope, as obtaining loans for overseas property purchases can be difficult. 'Securing a loan in a foreign country to buy residential property in Korea would not be easy, unless the buyer is extremely wealthy,' said an official at a local real estate investment firm. 'Even in commercial real estate, offshore investors usually prefer to finance through local banks. For residential housing, cross-border financing tends to be even more difficult.' Foreign nationals are subject to the same borrowing limits at Korean banks as local citizens, including regulations based on loan-to-value and debt-to-income ratios. Still, completely closing off regulatory loopholes remains a challenge. While Korea imposes heavier taxes on multi-homeowners, enforcing these rules among foreign nationals can be challenging, particularly in identifying household members living abroad. Calls for tightened grip Regulatory efforts to manage demand from foreign homebuyers in Korea continue to gain traction, with some measures targeting Chinese nationals — the largest group of foreign property owners in the country. In May, Rep. Ko Dong-jin of the ruling People Power Party proposed a bill that would introduce a permit system for foreign nationals seeking to purchase property in the greater Seoul area. Citing the principle of reciprocity, Ko argued that Chinese nationals' access to Korean real estate should be limited, pointing out that South Koreans face similar restrictions when attempting to purchase property in China. Ko's proposal is part of a broader, bipartisan push by lawmakers in recent years to tighten regulations on foreign ownership. Other initiatives have included calls for higher acquisition taxes and stricter property-related rules for non-Korean buyers. However, none of these measures have passed the legislative threshold. Legal experts argue that regulating property purchases by nationality could violate the constitutional principle of reciprocity. Despite the legal challenges, authorities are continuing their efforts to monitor and respond to growing concerns. On Monday, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon ordered a comprehensive investigation into real estate transactions involving foreign nationals. He called for a full review of foreign ownership patterns and proposed additional safeguards to prevent potential market distortions or what he described as 'reverse discrimination' against Korean citizens. Although there is currently no conclusive evidence that foreign homeownership is driving instability in the housing market, officials remain wary. 'The government has to figure out a way to strengthen measures to track down foreign purchases of local residential properties. Otherwise, the rising foreign demand will drive up further market distortion," Kwon said.
