1st baby in 20 years sparks celebration in rural Korean village

Congratulatory banners hang in the Korean Peninsula Village in Bukpyeong-myeon, Jeongseon County, Gangwon Province, where a baby was born for the first time in 20 years. Courtesy of Jeongseon County office

The sound of a baby crying in a rural town in Jeongseon County, Gangwon Province, has given residents reason to celebrate, marking the first birth there in 20 years.

According to the county, a baby boy was born to Kim Hyun-dong and Jang Yoo-jin in Mungok-ri, Bukpyeong-myeon, a village often called the “Korean Peninsula Village.” The couple moved to the rural community four years ago.

To celebrate the first birth in two decades, local residents put up congratulatory banners across the area, with regional offices and community centers joining in. Candidates in the upcoming local elections, including incumbent Gangwon Gov. Kim Jin-tae, also offered their congratulations to the family.

Last month, the couple enrolled their older son, 7-year-old Si-won, at Nampyeong Elementary School as its only incoming student this year.

Village head Kim Chul-su, 75, said residents plan to hold a celebration on the 100th day after the baby’s birth, calling it the greatest joy the village has seen in two decades. The Jeongseon County Swimming Association, of which the baby’s father is a member, also reportedly plans to present the family with ring that day as a gesture of congratulations and blessing.

The father expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support the family has received. “As a local representative, I will continue doing my best to help make the community a better place,” he 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.