The North Korean leader calls for women to have more children to halt a fall in the birthrate
Seoul: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has said it is a duty of women to halt a fall in the country's births in order to strengthen national power, state media said Monday, as his government steps up the call for the people to have more children.
While getting a detailed read on North Korea's population trends is extremely difficult because of the limited statistics it discloses, South Korea's government assesses that the North's fertility rate has declined steadily for the past 10 years. That is a concerning development for a country that depends on mobilized labor to help keep its broken, heavily sanctioned economy afloat. Kim's latest appeal for women to have more children was made Sunday during the country's National Mothers Meeting, the first of its kind in 11 years.
"Stopping the decline in birthrates and providing good child care and education are all our family affairs that we should solve together with our mothers,'' Kim said in his opening speech.
According to South Korea's government statistics agency, North Korea's total fertility rate, or the average number of babies expected to be born to a woman over her lifetime, was at 1.79 in 2022, down from 1.88 in 2014. The decline is still slower than its wealthier rival South Korea, whose fertility rate last year was 0.78, down from 1.20 in 2014. South Korea's fertility rate, the lowest in the developed world, is believed to be due to a potent cocktail of reasons discouraging people from having babies, including a decaying job market, a brutally competitive school environment for children, traditionally weak child care assistance and a male-centered corporate culture where many women find it impossible to combine careers and family.
While North Korea is one of the poorest nations in the world, the change in its demographic structure is similar to that of rich countries, some observers say. "Many families in North Korea also don't intend to have more than one child these days as they know they need lots of money to raise their kids, send them to school and help them get jobs," said Ahn Kyung-su, head of DPRKHEALTH.ORG, a website focusing on health issues in North Korea. Ahn, who has interviewed many North Korean defectors, said the smuggling of a vast amount of South Korean TV dramas and movies in the past 20 years that showed an elevated social status for women has also likely influenced women in North Korea not to have many children.
North Korea implemented birth control programs in the 1970-80s to slow a postwar population growth. The country's fertility rate recorded a major decline following a famine in the mid-1990s that was estimated to have killed hundreds of thousands of people, the Seoul-based Hyundai Research Institute said in a report in August. "Given North Korea lacks resources and technological advancements, it could face difficulties to revive and develop its manufacturing industry if sufficient labor forces are not provided," the institute report said. According to North Korean state media reports this year, the country has introduced a set of benefits for families with three or more children, including preferential free housing arrangements, state subsidies, free food, medicine and household goods and educational perks for children.
South Korea's statistics agency estimates the North's population at 25.7 million. The Hyundai institute report said that North Korea was expected to experience a population shrink from 2034 and forecast its population would decrease to 23.7 million by 2070.
Ahn, the website head, said that Kim Jong Un's repeated public appearances with his young daughter, Ju Ae, are also likely be efforts to encourage families. Other experts said the daughter's appearances were more likely an attempt to show she's her father's heir.
Kim Jong Un CRIES while telling North Korean women to have more babies.
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) December 5, 2023
The dictator shed tears while speaking at the National Mothers Meeting as he urged women to boost the countries birth rate. pic.twitter.com/J354CyVnln
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Telangana teen dies by suicide after losing Rs 1 lakh in online betting
Hyderabad: An 18-year-old youth from Telangana’s Sangareddy district died by suicide after allegedly losing Rs 1 lakh on an online betting application, police said.
According to report published by NDTV on Friday, the deceased, identified as Vikram, was a resident of the Kandukur area. According to police, he consumed insecticide after suffering heavy financial losses through online betting. Vikram's family saw him taking the extreme step and rushed him to a hospital, where he died while undergoing treatment. The police have registered a case.
This is not an isolated case. Just a few weeks ago, a taxi driver in Hyderabad died by suicide after accumulating massive debts due to online betting apps.
The victim, Paladugu Sai (24) from Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri district, had reportedly been addicted to betting for nearly two years. He borrowed money from friends, relatives and banks, and was facing debts of around Rs 15 lakh at the time of his death. He too consumed pesticide and died during treatment.
Meanwhile, another similar case was reported from Madhya Pradesh recently. A 32-year-old civil contractor allegedly died by suicide in his house in Bhopal last week after losing nearly Rs 30 lakh in an online game. Police recovered a note from his house stating that he had taken loans to play an online game called Aviator. A case has been registered in that matter as well.
Police and experts have repeatedly warned about the rising menace of online betting and gaming platforms, urging people especially youth to stay away from such activities and seek help in case of addiction or financial distress.
(Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the state’s health helpline 104, Tele-MANAS 14416.)
