Confusion in the Population Policy

There is criticism over the government`s unstable population policy, stating that it instigated a continuous low birth rate amid this year`s value, which was the lowest recorded since 1970 as the rate has been decreasing every year.

In particular, the government’s birth encouraging policy operated from 2000 is not being operated as it planned, due to budget shortage. Also, the vasectomy, a contraceptive operation for men, was performed in the civil defense training camps until last year.

Government’s Birth Encouraging Policy is wandering-

Shin (28•female•Yeongdeungpo-gu) does not have any plans to have a baby yet although she’s been married for four years. She says, “Looking at other people, raising a baby requires about one million won per month. One million won is too much of a burden for my husband and me, as we collectively earn two million won per month.”

Another two-paycheck couple, Won (30•female•Sungnam City) said, “Although I planned to have a second baby this year, it’s hardly thinkable due to high cost of child care expense for my first child. The people in cities must be expending more cost to bringing up children. However, the people in cities are being left out from the benefactions of policies to encourage child birth.”

In 2002, the birthrate in Korea was 1.17 children per woman, the lowest in the world. Although governments have systems, such as paying for child delivery and giving subsidies to raise children, to encourage child birth, the indifference of local governments of big cities made those benefits only accessible in the countryside.

South Jeolla province supplies 300,000 won to every household which gave birth to a child. Yeongi-gun supplies layettes to couples who just gave birth to a child and exchanges tickets for baby supplies. Twenty-eight local governments are encouraging child birth with subsidies, costing from 50,000 to 350,000 won.

However, the subsidies are not effectively given in reality since people are not well informed, and the subjects are limited to the third child or to children who go to nursery schools.

Have a Baby or Not-

It was found out that vasectomies in civil defense training camps, which were started in order to control population increase from 1960s, were performed until last year.

According to Planned Parenthood Federation of Korea (PPFK), even after the policy to control population increase ended in 1995, 9,060 operations in 2000, 7,505 operations in 2001, and 4,852 operations in 2002 were done in the civil defense training camp, comprising 10 percent of all contraceptive operation held in Korea.

Principles of health insurance related to contraceptive operation do not correspond with policies to encourage child births. Current health insurance covers a vasectomy, which costs only 20,000 won. However, vasoligation costs 500,000 won. Costs of before-delivery diagnosis such as ultrasound test and amniotic fluid test are not covered by health insurance.

Jo (27•Cheonho-dong, Gangdong-gu), who just gave birth to a pair of twins said, “Medical fee was twice as much as that of other people’s. Furthermore, the insurance companies were reluctant to provide insurance for the baby since premature birth was expected. It made me think of abortion for once.”

Dr. Jo Nam-hoon, researcher at the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, said, “Confusion in the government’s population policy caused low birth rate and the aging of the population. Although the population policies of the Ministry of Health and Welfare were changed from the Population Restraint Policy (1961-1995) to the New Population Policy (1996-2003) and to the Counter Low Birthrate Population Policy (since 2004), only the Population Restraint Policy was successful.”

Jae-Young Kim Soo-Jung Shin jaykim@donga.com crystal@donga.com