[Consumption value-Interview] "This is the primary value I see in childcare," in the view of an American mother, Erin Lee, living in Korea.

[Consumerwide -  Yohan Bok Reporter]  According to data reported by the Ministry of Statistics, "National Approval Statistics No. 10103 Birth Statistics," the number of births is 249,100 in 2022, which is little over 50% of the statistics from 2011 (471,300) in overall domestic areas in Korea. (total number of births and birth rate/Yinarajipyo/the Ministry of Statistics) There is not much difference between regions, either. In the case of Gyeongnam province, 14,017 children were born in 2022, which is less than half of the number in 2011 (32,536). (Korean Women's Development Institute/Number of Birth and Birth Index) In order to improve the birth rate, each government sector in Korea seems to be busy checking out different resolutions, including birth subsidies.

The Ministry of Economy and Finance is proposing to tax-free any business that offers financial assistance to female workers with recent childbirth for a maximum of two years since birth, starting this year. (KBS 2024-3-5) In response to this, businesses in Korea seem to be expanding the subsidy policy for new mothers, especially large businesses such as Booyeong Group and IMM. Currently, the government subsidies upon birth, including "2 million won for a newly born child, 1 million won for a 0 year old child from 2024, and 500 thousand won for a 1 year old child on a monthly basis, has been expanding. (2023/3/30/ Korean government policy briefing: "Many subsidies have been offered for childbirth recently in Korea.") Nevertheless, would the Korean peninsula be filled with children in 30 to 40 years, or closely in 10 years, upon continual financial support for childcare?

Having all these ideas in mind, I had a chance to talk about this topic with an American mother, Erin Lee, living in Korea. Erin has been living in Masan for the last 15 years. She is also an English teacher and the mother of two wonderful children.

Reporter: Gyeongnam province, including Changwon, is constantly losing its population. What would be the primary area that the local government should look to in order to gain more population? Would creating more jobs be helpful?

Erin: The government does offer many benefits to families, especially to lower-income families, that are very helpful to families and to the ability to increase the population of Korea. Though I feel the government should look into the mental health of families, with the encouragement to have mothers and fathers seek mental therapy when they feel depressed, Many women have postpartum depression after having their first child, and that can last for a long time. It can be very dangerous for the family dynamic if it is left untreated. Having more therapy resources available for women could help increase the desire to have more children or make mothers feel more confident in their parenting. 

To address the issue of creating more jobs, I don’t think that would be very effective. Though having current jobs and employers to be more open to families and supporting them more at a personal level. Meaning, when a woman works, she often has to quit her job to take care of her children. When the time comes for her to go back, she has to find a new job or a new career to accommodate her family. Having companies assure that when the mother is ready to return to work, she will have a job, if she chooses. 

Reporter: Would you have any experience with feeling supported while living here in Gyungnam Province, both as a family and personally? And is there any area that you feel would help your family and anyone else maintain this place for longer?

Erin: Our family has lived in the Masan, Changwon area for about 15 years now. It’s been a wonderful experience living here. Even with my family in the USA and my in-laws in the Daegu Kyungsan area. I have felt a tremendous amount of support from the local government, especially financially, and through the education system. Even as a foreigner, there are many wonderful programmes that help mixed families adapt to life in Korea. 

Reporter: If you and your husband had similar job offers from both Korea and the States, would your family rather move to the US? If you prefer to stay in Korea, tell us why; if not, what would be the practical reasons?

Erin: If we had similar job offers in the States, we would definitely consider moving there. Being a foreigner in a country that is not my own, it is not always easy to live so far away from family. It would be wonderful to move closer to my family if the conditions were the same or better. We chose to live in Korea for our children because the living conditions and support here are much better for our family. Also, the family culture community in Korea is much more supportive than in the USA. For example, most kids are free to go to school, hagwons, and other extracurricular activities without hesitation and without overprotective parents. Though there is always a parent or grandparent around to help a child if there is a problem, the community looks after the children, whether they are their own or not. I love that aspect of the Korean culture.

Reporter: Young Koreans do not like to have children, or prefer not to have many, but only one child. What is the ultimate area that whole society cares about? Is it paying attention to encouraging parents to have children or not being afraid of nurturing children?

Erin: It starts with positive encouragement. The young people of today are more wrapped up in themselves and what they want to achieve. They seem to consider their future without considering others, society, or those who have helped them achieve their dreams. It is good for them to have the desire to fulfil their dreams, but they should consider the future and their families. But then, they feel pressured to have careers, get married, and have kids because of society's norms. For some, the pressure can be too much, so they just say no to all social norms and try to create their own norms. So with positive encouragement from their parents and society, they might feel the necessity of helping the world around them.

Reporter: If government subsidies were distributed to local areas to support moms, particularly in what area and in what way should they be distributed?

Erin: It is hard to target one group because all moms need some kind of support throughout their motherhood period (which seems to last a long time for all women). 

Reporter: Have you ever experienced a society or a community where there was a common understanding and agreement regarding nurturing children? If you know one, could you tell us the case and what the key point is that we can take away from it?

Erin: Yes, here in Korea. I have found my parenting skills somewhat aligned with those here in Korea.

Closing the interview, I remembered a number of mothers who are busy from very early morning to take their children to school and after that run to their job. This is not even the end of their day. After work, they are busy with housework. Some mothers eventually stop work regardless of their long and expert experience in the industry after years of hard-working childcare duties.

I perceive that childcare is a fundamental value of society that the entire nation should support. Ironically, though, unless the country prioritises women by acknowledging and appreciating their worth and way of life before making the investment in children, it is difficult to provide a setting where moms can raise more children or where children are happy. Maybe it's because we can't think independently of one another in a world where everyone is interconnected. This interview, in my opinion, could positively affect Korea's future by motivating Korean citizens and businesses to consider the lives of women who are mothers today and in the future, as well as the institutions of government.