First baby in 17 years, 4 new students: A rural Korean town’s rare moment of hope

The first child born in 2026 / Yonhap

A shrinking rural township in Korea celebrated two rare demographic milestones this month with its first newborn in 17 years and the enrollment of four students at its only elementary school.

Hongseong County officials said Tuesday that Sreydani, an immigrant from Cambodia, and her husband Jeong Hae-deok welcomed a baby boy named Yong-jun on March 19. The birth was the first in the village of Eunha-myeon in 17 years.

The community celebrated the news. Local organizations hung banners across the village. One banner read, "A special gift that came to Eunha-myeon in 2026. We celebrate the birth of baby boy Jeong Yong-jun of Jeong Hae-deok and Sreydani."

A banner celebrating the first birth in 17 years hangs in Daecheon-ri village of Eunha-myeon in Hongseong County, South Chungcheong Province, Tuesday. Courtesy of Hongseong County

The township also saw four students enroll in first grade at the local elementary school this month. The new arrivals brought the school's total student body to 17.

The celebrations contrast with the country's broader demographic crisis. Eunha-myeon has recorded a decade of population decline. Data shows the number of residents dropped from 2,628 in 2015 to 2,197 in 2022 and 2,153 in 2023. The population fell to 2,057 in 2024 before falling below the 2,000 threshold in July of last year at 1,991.

As of March 19, the township recorded a population of just 1,954 residents across 1,134 households. It now ranks as the second-smallest township in Hongseong County.

A bar graph generated by artificial intelligence shows the population decline in the village of Eunha-myeon, Hongseong County, South Chungcheong Province.

Eunha-myeon head Shim Seon-ja said the first baby in 17 years and the new student enrollments are a major source of joy for the entire region.

"We will make every effort in administrative support so that Eunha-myeon can become a place good for raising children and where everyone wants to live," Shim said.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.