South Koreas population dips below 50M Elderly set to exceed 30% by 2034

Elderly set to exceed 30% by 2034

The population of South Korean nationals residing in the country has dropped below 50 million for the first time in six years, largely due to low birth rates.

Projections suggest that by 2042, this figure may not even reach 47 million.

According to data released by Statistics Korea on April 11, the population of South Korean nationals decreased from 50,021,000 in 2022 to 49,847,000 in 2023. After surpassing the 50 million mark in 2018 with a population of 50,024,000, the figure had remained in the 50 million range for five years before dropping to the 40 million range last year.

  • Pretzilla@lemmy.worldEnglish
    752·
    7 months ago

    Let’s hope they can find a way to smoothly transition to a non-growth economy. The planet needs to downsize and someone needs to show the way.

    • xmunk@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      34·
      7 months ago

      The biggest problem, imo, is the fucking Chebols. I love my Samsung phone but that company is 22.4% of the South Korean economy, that’s fucking bonkers. The Chebols can dictate economic and social policies and ROK really just needs to break those fuckers up. It’ll be painful, it’ll cause a recession… but much like the famous Prussia quote “Korea is a corporation with a nation.”

      • LeroyJenkins@lemmy.worldEnglish
        7·
        7 months ago

        I’ve worked extensively in SK marketing and analytics before, and for whatever reason Koreans by and large have accepted chaebols. most do not want them gone.

        we used to have a saying at work that SK took all the worst parts of American capitalism and ran with it. the society is heavily encouraged to look up to chaebols as examples of success. Korea’s marketing heavily emphasizes materialism in an on the nose way. societal elitism in Korea is part of their culture and they make it known they’re better than you if they’re in a higher social position than you.

        you can see the chaebol dream if you’ve ever consumed any Korean media before. the trope of meeting a random person who ends up being a down to earth chaebol is one of the most typical, overplayed story lines in kdramas ever. and even before that, the trope of running into a random person who ends up being some down to earth prince trying to escape royalty was super common. more people fantasize about that kind of stuff there than despise it.

        all this to say the chaebols almost aren’t the problem. they’re practically a symptoms of a society who glamorizes them. it feels like how the US felt about the rich in the early 2000s.

      • SlopppyEngineer@lemmy.worldEnglish
        53·
        7 months ago

        On the other hand, because they’re so big they could push changes through the government that would normally take a long time in normal political process. Of course, first they must realize there is a problem and admit to themselves fundamental changes are needed that go against traditions.

        • SeaJ@lemm.eeEnglish
          17·
          7 months ago

          Those changes they push through are not likely to be good for workers and the general public. They push them through because they help their own profit. Them being able to do that fast is actually a negative.

        • xmunk@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
          12·
          7 months ago

          This is the classic pro/con argument about authoritarianism. Dictators suck but they’re extremely effective. Democracies move slower but embrace the desires of their citizens [1].

          Are the Chebols desires aligned with the needs of the citizens? Well, they effectively run the country now and it’s fucking dystopic so I feel confident saying we should get them out.

          1. Ideally, America is a great example of that going awry because (and I hope you don’t think this is too No True Scotsman-y) it isn’t effectively a democracy.
          • SlopppyEngineer@lemmy.worldEnglish
            3·
            7 months ago

            I know it’s pretty close to asking the scorpion to save the frog but they’re halfway down the river by now and we’ll see very soon what their nature is.

            In any case, it’ll be a nice model for USA and EU of what their future will look like.

  • Wanderer@lemm.eeEnglish
    81·
    7 months ago

    Wish my country could manage its population like this.

    All we get it more people and more expensive housing.

    • Jin@lemmy.worldEnglish
      2·
      7 months ago

      there are many factors than just the amount of people. A lot of housing is just empty…

  • sandman@lemmy.caEnglish
    34·
    7 months ago

    It’s only the really poor and the really wealthy that have kids these days.

    The ruling class is doing a great job snuffing out the middle class.

    The future will be the have’s and the have nots, again.

    • otp@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      302·
      7 months ago

      I think it’s more that anti-feminism is hitting hard, so the women don’t want to have kids with the terrible men

      • Infiltrated_ad8271@kbin.social
        311·
        7 months ago

        They are against things like mandatory military service for men only, women-only universities, women’s quotas, and other things that create a noticeable disadvantage in their daily lives, in one of the most ultra-capitalist societies in the world.

        You know, against things that are effective gender discrimination and that feminism advocates. But yeah, their reaction and rise can only be explained by them being terrible men, no doubt.

        • otp@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
          2·
          7 months ago

          There are extremists to every issue. Some want women to have to do military service, and some think that a woman’s place is at home raising the children for her husband.

          Some of them are going to be terrible, and those are going to be the ones that women don’t want to partner with, let alone raise children with.

          Of course, my comment was in the context of the one that has since been deleted where it blamed feminism for making women not want to have kids, lol

          I think the biggest factor is actually the work culture, not gender issues.

        • NOT_RICK@lemmy.worldEnglish
          13·
          7 months ago

          I’ll have to let my wife know; she’s consistently made more than me through our relationship. I had her beat for 18 months at one point, I guess she sees my future earning potential 😂

          Not everyone looks at relationships as wholly transactional. You get what you look for.

          • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldMEnglish
            91·
            7 months ago

            I’ve been a house husband twice in our marriage. First when my daughter was born about 14 years ago until she was 3, and again now that she’s in online school and they require a parent to stay home and supervise. And before and after both instances, my wife made more than me.

            She’s also much more highly educated than me. She has two masters degrees, I’m a college dropout. I’m pretty sure the only ‘transactional’ thing in our relationship involves things like ‘if you do the dishes, I’ll take out the trash.’

        • Bonehead@kbin.social
          6·
          7 months ago

          Tell us you’ve never been in a relationship with a woman without actually telling us you’ve never been in a relationship with a woman…