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By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
Health Minister Jeon Jae-hee and comedienne Kim Ji-sun will hold radio campaigns from this month to ``boost the country's birthrate,'' the Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs said, Tuesday.
Jeon, who herself is a working mother of two, pledged to make the country a birth-friendly place. ``The government will take steps to make you feel comfortable having children ― we will support your childcare and education,'' she said in a recording for the radio campaign.
Kim, who gave birth to three children over five years and is three months pregnant with her fourth, tells her own story.
``Some people are startled when I tell them that I am having a fourth child. But you know what? The best thing I have ever done is giving birth to them. My husband tells me so, too. I am sure all mothers agree with me,'' she said in the recording.
The ministry explained that Kim was the perfect fit for the campaign since she smiles so much and talks positively about having a large family on television and radio. She's also a dedicated philanthropist who has donated 600 books to local childcare centers and performs for charity.
The ministry will air the recordings on primetime shows for housewives aged between 20 and 40 years.
According to the government, the number of births here marked 466,000 in 2008, down about 27,000 from a year ago. Meanwhile, the country's birthrate marked 1.19, a slight fall from 1.25 a year ago. The Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs said that if the economic slump lasts longer, the rate might drop below one in the years ahead.
bjs@koreatimes.co.kr
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