Korea's Planned Parenthood Promoting Births? Why?

[Rob_Hugo@PortNW]

There is a joke in Korea that if you are hard up for money, you should have more children. They call couples with more than one child "welfare". This is due to Koreas efforts to promote more births in Korea. I also heard that Korea is closing their doors to international adoption due to the low birth rates.

People I know in Korea say that having mulitple children is too difficult and costly. Kids who haven't even started school go to cram schools or have private tutors. It is also the norm for young children to sleep at eleven pm at night and then get up at 6-7 the next morning to go to school. Theya re studying to get ahead.

A recent couple I met, moved to the US for a year to learn English and get a break from the rigors of Korea for their kids. 😛

Mickey Choe

[Anonymous]

I find the methods of population control and planned parenthood in S. Korea and China to be interesting and unconventional. I do not believe that these methods achieve their ultimate goal, and even when they do, the side-effects are more damaging than the ultimate goal.

[Anonymous]

I also found these topics extrememly interesting. I was quite shocked when I read that Korea, after almost 40 years of promoting "birth control" is now reversing their decision. I have an aunt who adopted both of her daughters from China 10 and 12 years ago at what I thought to be the height of their "birth control" state. Both of her daughters had been found abandoned on the streets as infants because they were girls. The orphanages were so over crowded with girls and under manned that her first daughter had a flat head from laying in a crib all day and showed other noticable signs of abuse/neglect. My aunt adopted her at about 9 months old.

[Anonymous]

I feel really ignorant to some many things going on in other countries. I had no idea that Korea was trying to promote births. I think it is going to be hard to convince young working women to start having children. The workforce is going to have to change some of their policies so that the young women won't feel like their children jeopardize their jobs. And how do you decrease the cost of raising a child???
I was also surprised to know that in Korea, there are more abortions than live births. They are really going to have to make great strives to change the thinking of a generation of young women.

[Anonymous]

It's amazing that while China's government is trying to prevent it's citizens from having children, while a short peninsula of darkness away, the Korean government is trying to encourage its citizens to have more children. Overcrowding in the classrooms causes all kinds of problems.

[Anonymous]

I thought your comment was quite insightful. China is trying to dissuade the number of births, but just over in Korea, the government is trying to get families to have more children. I was surprised to hear from Dr. Dube that the number of abortions per year in Korea is higher than the number of live births. Yikes.

I don't think it is an issue of overcrowding in the classroom, but an issue of choice and life style. Koreans take education as a high virtue. They say that the times when the government was deep in IMF woes, they never once thought about cutting education. They will generally cut everything except for education. This is the complete opposite of the US and especially California, where the first cuts is always education. Life in Seoul, Korea is pretty fun and more urban than even LA. Women I know, do not want to be inconvenienced by children or having to raising the "perfect" child. Some are more into their careers, which they don't want to lose by having a child. I don't agree necessarily with this thought, but I also don't live in Korea.

[Anonymous]

I don't know if I am delusional, but it seemed that the chart that Dr. Dube showed us showed the birth rate in China to be dropping in about 20 years, down to below 2, which means that in a short time China will be facing the same problems that Europe is experiencing now, diminishing return. C. Reynolds

[Anonymous]

I agree! Some months ago I was bored (don't have cable) and as I scrolled through the channels I think I ran into a soap opera like show. After watching two episodes and reading the subtitles I realized that the female protagonist had to deal with getting older and not having children, but also maintain a good career as a doctor. After reading this article the soap opera makes sense now!... I know cheesy but true!

[Anonymous]

"Kids who haven't even started school go to cram schools or have private tutors."

I had to read this over and over again to try and wrap my brain around it--talk about a culture gap. I just can't really understand what a 4-5 year old child would cram into their head...or how. Are young brains built for that? will they pop? Or just leak? Or strain to hold information? So weird to me. I guess culturally, here, the belief is generally that play is the best mode of learning for young children. I have taken that idea for granted for a long time now and it's hard to "cram," other ideas into my more, "developed," skull!

"...they never once thought about cutting education. They will generally cut everything except for education.
This is the complete opposite of the US and especially California, where the first cuts is always education."

Very interesting perspective...At its essence, it such a cool value, (education) but I guess it possible to take a good thing a bit far? (Cram school for tykes?! I can't get over it!) It's still a beautiful idea as an abstract. To develop the mind as much as possible....to sacrifice everything for that, to hold a non-material value high, high above all others- so cool! Maybe I like it BECAUSE it's so different from American values (of self-sufficiency and the building of empires...?)

"Life in Seoul, Korea is pretty fun and more urban than even LA."

I am curious- in what ways is it more urban? Is it more citified? More formal?

P.S.: Gotta love the basic-basic (read cheapskate) cable and its addictive Korean soaps! [Edit by="price on Apr 20, 12:27:55 AM"][/Edit]

[Anonymous]

You got to trust me. I was shocked when I heard it, but it was the reality when I visited Korea two three years ago. My friends in Korea are private tutors for kids who haven't even started school. The parents want to garantee that their child is ahead of other students or not falling behind so they pay major money for this. Especially if you have money, you will spend it to be ahead of the others or just trying to catch up.

You have to understand life in Seoul. Like New York City, the city never sleeps. You can go out at all hours of the day to eat, shop, and get your hair done. Kids, even elementary schoool age typically don't sleep before eleven pm. My friends just told me it is the life style of Korea. Teens who have moved to the US, say that they miss Korea because there are more things to do. Subways, buses and taxis make everything accessible unlike in the US.

It is a place definietly worth visisting.

[Anonymous]

Its so interesting to me to learn about the customs and cultures of different places around the world. Its even more interesting when the norms in other parts of the world are so different then the norms here. Learning about others is what makes people more accepting so I believe this is crucial information to pass on to our students.

[Anonymous]

That really is fascinating. I would love to visit Korea some time just to get a taste of their culture and background. I couldn't imagine living in such a competitive society. I feel like our society is pretty competitive at times, especially when I think about my 14 month old daughter and how I want her to have as many adavantages as possible, but it seems like Korea takes that competitive streak to another level.

Here in California we as teachers are constantly complainig about needing to test our students and hold them "acountable" for their learning, but it sounds like in Korea those tests would be embrassed by both the parents and teachers. It would be amazing to walk into a classroom and see students that are all dedicated and driven to succeed with parents that are willing to back that up. I just cannot imagine it. It is every teachers dream class from what it sounds.

[Anonymous]

I remember in high school a Korean friend telling me that you study hard to get into college and then it's a little more relaxing. Like you've proven yourself all through school, you did well enough to get into college and once you're in college, now you can relax. Not coast or anything, but it's less high stakes than the previous years.

[Anonymous]

Thank you mchoe for explaining that to me. Now you've planted that seed, and I blame you for my newfound thirst to go visit Seuol! While you're explanation enlightens and clarifies, I now know that I will never begin to really understand unless or until I actually go there! But please continue to educate me because there are so many things am clueless about!

[Anonymous]

I teach at a school with many Korean students and it is a dream. They enjoy learning and the parents are very appreciative of what the teachers do. There is a major difference in the value that is put on education!

[Author]

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