\n<\/p>\n
Experts are careful not to over-interpret South Korea’s improvement. The TFR remains extremely low, and whether the increase will continue is uncertain.<\/p>\n
IPS senior research fellow Tan Poh Lin said the rebound nevertheless signals that sustained messaging may be having some effect.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe relentless, consistent public messaging backed by a blitz of incentive announcements from different sectors of society may have been especially cheering and emboldening for parents, and given them more negotiating power in workplaces,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Dr Kalpana agreed that changing mindsets requires patience and persistence. For one, the desire to start a family should be nurtured early, even in schools.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a legacy of \u2018achievement\u2019 culture, which is an intense focus on progress in your career, to be the best. That culture also has to shift,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis culture is an obstacle in choosing to raise children, and an obstacle in choosing to have a relationship in the first place.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr Kalpana also raised concerns about heavy smartphone use among youths, which she said weakens relationship formation and future marriage rates. She welcomed the recent ban on smartphones in secondary schools.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cPersonalised entertainment devices can actually take the place of the time we spend doing out and meeting new people, now you can distract yourself from that loneliness very easily,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Ultimately, raising fertility is not a problem that governments can solve alone. It requires rebuilding community support, she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For example, childcare jobs, though rarely celebrated, play a \u201ckey role\u201d in giving couples confidence to start families.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are missing the village,” she said. “And the village is not going to look like what the kampung looked like before, but we need to find similar kinds of support to manage the many things involved in caring for children.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n