Examining the Ultra-Low Fertility Rate Causes and Social Policy Response: Case Study of Korea

This paper examines the critical factors that have led to the ultra-low fertility rate in South Korea, which has fallen to 0.78, the lowest in the world. Scholars link this phenomenon to fertility choice, parents' economic decisions, and the cost of having children. The ultra-low fertility rate portends demographic shifts and economic and social challenges in the coming decades. To respond to this phenomenon, the Korean government has introduced several key policies to address the issue. This paper aims to answer the question of what the critical factor shaping Korea's ultra-low fertility rate is and the response by social policy to influence the fertility rate, using the framework of fertility choice and social policy response to affect the fertility rate.