S. Korea's birth rate rebounds, but can new government policies sustain it?

Welcome to Within The Frame, where we bring the most pressing issues across the globe into focus. I'm Kim Mok-yeon.

As today marks World Population Day today, all eyes are on South Korea's surprising uptick in birth rates — a nation long synonymous with demographic decline.

According to new government data, April births surged past the 20,000 mark — the highest in 34 years — signaling what some are calling a long-overdue rebound.

For ten consecutive months now, Korea has recorded year-over-year growth in newborn numbers, prompting cautious optimism in a country where the fertility rate has hovered near rock bottom.

For answers to this, we connect to Hwang Myung-jin, Professor of Public Administration at Korea University. Welcome.

Also joining us is Hyeyoung Woo, Professor of Sociology and Director of the Institute for Asian Studies at Portland State University.

1. (Hwang) First off — according to data by Statistics Korea on June 25th, the number of newborns in April exceeded 20,000 for the first time in 34 years, marking the sharpest year-on-year increase in decades. What do you see as the main drivers behind this rebound in birth numbers?

2. (Woo) Building on that — we've now seen ten straight months of year-over-year birth increases since July of last year. Prof. Woo, in your view, does this signal a structural shift rather than a temporary uptick?

3. (Hwang) On that note — the Presidential Committee on Low Fertility and Aging Society recently forecast that Korea's total fertility rate could surpass 0.80 this year, a slight but symbolic rebound from last year's record low of 0.72. Prof. Hwang, do you think that's a realistic scenario?

4. (Woo) Looking ahead — Korea has set a national goal of reaching a fertility rate above 1.0 by 2030.

One key window of opportunity is the marriage timing of the so-called "echo boomers" — those born between 1991 and 1996.

Prof.Woo, what do you think are the most critical actions needed to encourage more marriages?

5. (Woo) Zooming out for a global comparison — the OECD has cited Korea's high private education costs and soaring housing prices as major factors behind the country's particularly low fertility rate among advanced economies. Would you agree with this assessment?

6. (Hwang) Now shifting to the policy structure — some experts point out that Korea lacks a true population policy control tower. The existing Committee on Low Fertility and Aging Society has been criticized for having no budgetary or executive authority. Why is establishing a strong government-led control body so critical at this stage?

7. (Hwang) In that regard — the government plans to launch a Presidential Task Force on Population Planning and is considering a dedicated population agency under the leadership of President Lee. What kind of structure and composition should this new body have to be effective?

8. (Woo) Let's take a global view — among countries seen as leaders in tackling low fertility, are there specific policy tools or approaches that you believe would work well if adapted to Korea's social environment?

9. (Hwang) To wrap up — many argue that consistency in policy is key when addressing demographic challenges. As a population expert, what would be your top priorities or key recommendations for the current administration?