Welcome back.
ON this segment... of VIEW POINT... we address...
South Korea's low birth rate...
its causes... broader consequences... and possible countermeasures...
with a panel of foreign journalists.
I have Sebastien FALLETI...
here in the studio.
Sebastien... welcome back.
I also have CHERYL TEH... joining...
this session... virtually... from Singapore.
Cheryl...
it's a pleasure... to have you... with us.
1) Sebastien...
South Korea's FERTILITY RATE plunged... to a FRESH LOW... last year... to stand...
at 0-point-8-4.
How does... this figure...
compare... to those... of its OECD counterparts?
((The average fertility rate... among OECD countries...
stood at 1-point-1-6... as of 2019.))
2-1) And...
Cheryl... is... this decline... in birth rates...
simply...
a Korean phenomenon... or... is it a broader global reality?
2-2) Meanwhile...
Cheryl...
what can you share...
with us... about the situation...
in Singapore?
3) Sebastien...
Elon Musk has been... sounding the alarm... on falling birth rates...
here in South Korea... in neighboring Japan...
over in Hong Kong... and... in Italy... which he claims... may "die out".
What...
do you suppose... are the chances... of such a scenario... for countries...
like South Korea... where...
the fertility rate is well below...
2-point-1 MINIMUM... required... to sustain a society?
((A 2014 study...
commissioned by the National Assembly... concluded... that South Korea may cease... to exist...
in 2750...
IF the fertility rate is maintained...
at 1-point-1-9.))
4) Cheryl... staying with the grim prospects... but... focusing now... on the near future.
Based on your coverage of social issues...
here in South Korea...
what look to be... the immediate challenges... for this country...
amid its declining birth rate?
((On the academic infrastructure 〈kindergartens, schools, universities〉... on the labor market...
on the economy...
on national security))
5) Sebastien...
what do you care...
to highlight...
as... the potential near-term problems... of fewer babies... in the country?
6) Cheryl... let's now... shift... our focus... then... to the underlying causes... behind...
the low fertility rate...
here.
What do you believe...
are the main reasons?
7) Sebastien...
what are your thoughts...
with regard... to the causes?
8) Cheryl... meanwhile...
the million-dollar question...
now... is... how...
do governments...
DEVISE...
POLICIES... to boost... birth rates?
That being said...
what...
do
you believe...
needs... to be done?
9) Sebastien...
France... for
its part... boasts... a steady birth rate.
What...
do you suppose... is behind...
this reality?
10) Cheryl...
Elon Musk... for his part... has brushed aside... policies... and... simply said... we need...
to celebrate children.
How do you respond to these words?
((Do you suppose... campaigns...
like... the "No Children Allowed" at certain restaurants...
are... negatively affecting...
family planning?))
11) Sebastien...
some pundits have spoken about... the need... for a major overhaul... of
the corporate culture...
here in
South Korea... to encourage...
more working women to decide... to start...
a family.
Do you agree?
All right