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Staff Reporter
Seoul is aging rapidly as the average age of Seoulites has reached 37.1 years this year, up 4.7 years over the last decade.
The ratio of elderly people over 65 years old has risen by 77.8 percent in the ten-year period, meaning that young workers may have to pay more taxes to support the elderly.
Like the rest of the country, the city is struggling with a low birthrate. More salaried women are reluctant to give birth, fearing it will conflict with career advancement.
According to the Korea Development Institute, the more women are paid at work, the less likely they are to have a second child.
Separate research by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs shows that only 2.4 percent of married women said they would quit their jobs upon getting pregnant.
Many district offices in Seoul unveiled plans to provide up to 30 million won in assistance to families having three children or more.
The offices have also extended the operation hours for daycare centers and nurseries for the convenience of working moms.
Seoul City is creating pathways for mothers to push prams and will offer cultural classes and other programs that mothers and children can enjoy together.
The central government is giving subsidies to these families to be used for nurseries or kindergartens.
But city officials acknowledged that such fringe benefits are not fundamental solutions for an aging society. Yoon Dong-suk, an official of the city, said the city would unveil this month comprehensive policies to boost the birthrate.
bjs@koreatimes.co.kr
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