By Kwon Mee-yoo
Staff Reporter
Ha Jae-kyung, a 34-year-old working wife residing in Seoul, does not plan to have a baby despite being married for two years.
"My husband and I considered having a child but we decided not to. We rather want to enjoy our kidless life," she said.
The couple's decision has as much to do with their lifestyle as the economics. "I've seen my friends nurturing their kids and it seemed so expensive. It would also be difficult to work and care for a child," Ha said, adding that she hopes that their decision may change.
Like many others, Ha's view is the main reason why the national birthrate isn't increasing despite government incentives. Seoul has the lowest birthrate. According to the National Statistical Office (NSO), the average number of births a woman in Seoul has during her child-bearing years is 1.01, compared with the national average of 1.19. Although Seoul has started paying attention to the issue, it hasn't composed a strategy to deal with it.
Cho Young-tae, a professor at Seoul National University, cited economics as a key factor.
"Those who get married feel insecure about their economic present and future. Besides, having a child is an expensive proposition," professor Cho said, pointing out the lower birthrate experienced during the financial crisis in the 1990s.
Seoul City tried to find solutions to the problem at an international seminar last week.
Gavin Jones from the Asia Research Institute at the National University of Singapore introduced the policies of the city state and how it shifted the focus on the family after 2000, and honed in on an incentives-for-more-birth format.
Singapore offers maternity leave for eight weeks and offers a "baby bonus" of five years for the second and third child. "Making a family-friendly workplace - such as more flexible working hours, maternity and paternity leave provisions and good childcare facilities - can also raise rates," Jones said.
Toru Suzuki of the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research in Japan said Tokyo publicized action programs in 2005 covering consulting and medical treatment, compatibility between work and family life, healthy growth and development of children, and support for problematic families for safe and comfortable childrearing.
Cho Eun-hee, Seoul's assistant mayor for women and family affairs, said, "Seoul has one of the world's lowest birthrates and we feel the need of custom-made service to meet the requirements of social diversity. There are all sorts of reasons for not having children, and former policies such as releasing money for the low-income bracket are one-sided and not effective anymore."
She also said Seoul will benchmark other cities' good examples. "We can raise the birthrate when we provide subsidies for those who can't afford child rearing, and good nursery services for those who are looking for safe childcare facilities," she said. "Moreover, we will try to change the social mood to encourage marriage and support parenting, in addition to financial incentives for childbearing."