From growth to decline
Following the war, Korea experienced a phenomenal growth spurt in the 1950s and 1960s. This frenetic increase, in a more than fragile economic context, forced the authorities to implement regulatory campaigns. In the 1970s, a policy called " Raise two children regardless of their gender " was introduced. This restriction began relatively calmly, but worsened in the 1980s. The country moved to a one-child regime, ardently supported by the government. The government distributed contraceptive pills free of charge, and even rewarded citizens who underwent surgical procedures to prevent them from having children. In the same vein, support for mothers was abolished. Everything was in place to compress and limit births. Today, South Korea has the lowest birth rate in the world, with 0.72 children per woman in 2022. If statistics are to be believed, the birth rate will be 0.65% in 2025. According to the latest forecasts from Korea's statistical institute, the population will reach 36.2 million in 2072, down 30% from the current 51.7 million. The population is expected to decline every year from 2025 onwards.
The children of the post-war baby boom are now in their sixties. Add to this the very low birth rate, and the inherent result is that Korea's population is getting old.
The distribution of the population
By the end of 2022, the population had reached 51.7 million. The country's relatively small size means that its density, on the other hand, is very high. Especially when you consider that only 19% of the population lives in rural areas. There are 515.56 inhabitants per km². Around half the nation lives in and around Seoul. However, as the years go by, more and more Koreans are moving away from the capital to the wider Gyeonggi-do region. Life there is less stressful, less polluted, less expensive and much more pleasant. The second major urban area is to the south, around the port city of Busan. All in all, it's clear that the population will concentrate in the lowlands, particularly on the western side of the country, which is the least mountainous area.
A homogeneous population
As we've already read, Koreans make up almost all the country's inhabitants. As an aside, it's amusing to note that of the 270 surnames listed, more than half the population has one of the following names: Kim, Lee, Park, Choi or Jeong. With over 20% of Koreans bearing this name, Kim is the most common.
The presence of foreigners is anecdotal. A few Chinese, Southeast Asians and Americans live here, but they are drowned out by the mass of Koreans.
On the other hand, international marriages have become more popular in recent years. The majority are between a Korean man and a Southeast Asian woman (Vietnamese or Filipino).
The Korean language
Korean is a language whose classification is the subject of much debate among specialists. Some classify it among the Ural-Altaic languages, while others consider it unique. The 24 letters that make up Hangul 한굴, were invented in 1443 by King Sejong, who wanted a language that was easy to learn in comparison with Chinese and Japanese ideograms. Less than an hour's learning is enough to be able to read Korean.
Korean has borrowed heavily from Chinese and English. To give just a few, we can mention the word "ice", in English ice cream and in Korean 아이스크림(aiseukeulim), or the word "television", 텔레비전 (tellebijeon).
The literacy rate is quite high, representing 99% of the population. Thanks to the education imparted at school, Koreans, especially the younger generation, will speak some English. It's one of the hallmarks of their school system. Obviously, it's harder to find English speakers in the countryside.
Although the country's main official language is Korean, there are many dialects. Each region has its own dialect, and even between Koreans, it's sometimes difficult to understand each other. A small example: to say "Hello, how are you?", we say "안녕하십니까? an-nyeong-ha-shim-ni-kka?" in standard Korean, but in the dialect of Jeju Island, it's "펜안하우과? pen-an-ha-u-gwa?"
The official language is still Seoul Korean, as this is the one broadcast by the media and taught in language books.
