A new study shows that increased participation in the labor force by women actually drives up a nation's birthrate.
According to the report by Hyundai Economic Research Institute last week, women's economic activities are often blamed for the decreasing birthrate.
But an analysis of OECD cases has revealed that nations with high proportions of economically active women also have high birthrates, as financial stability leads to better conditions for raising children.
In contrast, women's unemployment lowers household income, causing them to postpone or avoid having a child. If women's participation rate in the labor force rises 10 percentage points, the total fertility rate increases by 0.12 to 0.19, the institute estimates.
As of 2011, women's participation rate in Korea's labor force stood at 54.9 percent, compared to 63 percent for Japan, 66.5 percent for the EU and 67.8 percent for the U.S.