A Society That Stops Having Children, A Future That Disappears
In 2025, South Korea’s total fertility rate is projected to hit 0.68—the lowest in the world. Every year, the country breaks its own record for the lowest birthrate. This number is more than a statistic; it is a direct indicator of how a society views its next generation and how its structural foundations are being sustained—or not.
Low birthrates are no longer just a concern for economic, political, or welfare policies. They now pose a direct threat to the sustainability of Korean society as a whole. While the population declines, the deeper issue lies not in numbers but in meaning. A society with fewer children is one with fewer people—and, more critically, a society that reflects a collapse of values.
For years, the government has poured effort into raising the birthrate through policies such as childcare subsidies, cash incentives for childbirth, expanded daycare facilities, and support for fertility treatments. Yet, the numbers continue to decline. Why?
Experts suggest this is no longer a matter of inability to have children, but of unwillingness. South Korea has become a society where people no longer want to have children.
The issue is not simply financial or environmental. It is about a shift in priorities and the unraveling of value systems. Individual freedom, career advancement, economic stability, and personal fulfillment have become primary life goals. Nowhere in that equation do children naturally fit. In today’s Korea, childbirth is perceived as a “sacrifice,” one too burdensome to bear.
This trend is not unique to Korea. Nations like Japan, Singapore, and Italy face similar crises of low birthrates and aging populations. At the core of this trend is a shared shift: from family-centered life structures to individualistic ones. In earlier generations, family and community were the central frameworks of life. Today, individual choice, satisfaction, and autonomy reign.
To be sure, this shift has brought progress: greater individual rights, expanded roles for women, and respect for lifestyle diversity. These gains should not be dismissed. But alongside them has come a weakening of families and communities, and a loss of collective responsibility for the next generation.
The fundamental question is this: Why are we not having children? Fertility rates reflect a society’s vision of the future. When the future feels uncertain, when communities cannot be trusted, people stop having children. Low birthrates are, in essence, statistics of distrust. When hope for life fades, trust in society collapses, and faith in relationships deteriorates, the doors to new life naturally close.
From a biblical standpoint, life is a blessing. “Be fruitful and multiply,” God said in Genesis—not merely as a command but as a gift to humanity. As Psalm 127 proclaims, children are a heritage and reward from the Lord. Life was always meant to be embraced and nurtured within the community. Yet today, life is often feared, viewed as a burden, or ignored entirely.
This is not just about childbirth. It is about our posture toward the order that God has given. A society without children is a society where human value diminishes, where efficiency outranks relationships, and where individualism eclipses community. In such a structure, the next generation has no place to stand.
What we need now is not just more policy—but a new direction. Unless we create a culture that welcomes life, rebuild trust systems where children can thrive, and restore communities where parents can share responsibility, no amount of financial support will solve the crisis. The church must lead in recovering this value before any other institution.
This is not about promotional campaigns for childbirth. It is about building a culture that treasures life, creates space for the next generation, and supports parents with practical, real systems. This is what it means to live out the gospel.
When the number of children declines, the number of people inevitably follows. Low birthrates are not just demographic concerns—they are questions about how we understand life and whether we are structurally equipped to carry a future. Today, Korean society stands at that crossroads.
When people disappear, society loses its reason to exist. Only when we are once again able to welcome life, can a society truly come back to life.
By Lee Sion | Maeil Scripture Journal | Today’s World, A View Through the Word
