Kim Jong-Un Makes Rare Admission, Says North Korea Is Indeed Grappling With Major Population Crisis

In an uncharacteristic disclosure, North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has conceded that the nation is experiencing a major population crisis, potentially posing a threat to its economic stability and military prowess.

What Happened: On Monday, Bloomberg reported that Kim has recognized a demographic issue in North Korea, a country that relies heavily on human resources for its labor-intensive sectors and military. This admission came during the first official mothers’ gathering in more than ten years, where Jong Un emphasized the need to increase the birth rate.

As portrayed by the Korean Central News Agency, Kim Jong Un’s address underscored the role of motherhood in advancing the socialist nation. This signifies a change in the state media narrative of North Korea, which previously concentrated on the demographic issues faced by its capitalist neighbor, South Korea.

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Even though South Korea has one of the lowest fertility rates globally, it is implementing strategies like cash incentives to combat its population crisis. However, Kim has not yet revealed any plans to address the decreasing population in North Korea.

In 2023, North Korea reported a fertility rate of 1.8 and a total population of 26.2 million to the United Nations Population Fund. According to a research paper by the Hyundai Research Institute, these figures suggest a population decline could commence around 2034. But if these statistics are exaggerated, the crisis could be closer than anticipated.

Industry experts are of the view that the depletion of productive labor power could seriously impact North Korea’s economy. The country’s fertility rate has suffered two collapses, the first during the 1990s famine and the second after 2005, when economic reforms expanded women’s participation in the active economy.

Why It Matters: Earlier this month, Kim made an emotional appeal to the nation’s women to increase birth rates during a National Mothers Meeting in Pyongyang. This was the first such event in 11 years, prompted by the alarming drop in birth rates in North Korea.

The decrease in fertility rate over the past decade, as shown by South Korea’s governmental analysis, is a serious concern for a regime heavily reliant on manual labor and military service. This public acknowledgment of the issue is unprecedented for the North Korean leadership.

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