North Korea: Emotional Kim Jong Un Urges Women to Have More Children in Face of Declining Birth Rate

In a heartfelt appeal, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un urged the ladies of his isolated country to increase their family size to combat the nation's falling birth rate.

Kim, accompanied by other uniformed officials, spoke to the crowd, who were in tears of emotional unity, on how strengthening the country would be possible by increasing the population.

In his address, Kim emphasized that, as a family, they should work together with their mothers to address pressing issues such as the falling birth rate and the lack of quality child care and education, as reported by the New York Post.

Urging Women to Increase Family Size

In 2022, the typical North Korean woman was projected to have 1.79 children, a decrease from 1.88 in 2014, according to South Korea's statistics office.

Even though that figure is far higher than in rival South Korea, where the fertility rate was 0.78 in 2022, Kim insisted that North Korean women should increase their birth rate.

Several times throughout the address, the enchanted audience enthusiastically cheered for Kim, as seen in official television footage.

The North Korean government reportedly has a program in place to help families with three or more kids. Incentives for education, free housing, food, medication, and household items all fall under this category.

In what may be a public relations effort to promote family values, others have pointed out that Kim is seen regularly in public with his little daughter, Ju Ae.

Impacts of Falling Birth Rate

The National Mothers gathering, which took place on Sunday, December 3, was the first of its kind in almost ten years. Along with encouraging North Korean ladies to have more children, Kim emphasized the importance of raising children in a manner that would benefit the Communist nation's future.

Kim said they should prioritize "bringing up their children so that they will steadfastly carry forward our revolution, eliminating the recently increasing non-socialist practices, promoting family harmony and social unity, establishing a sound way of cultural and moral life, making the communist virtues and traits of helping and leading one another forward prevail over our society, stopping the declining birth rate, and taking good care of children and educating them effectively."

Notably, a decline in North Korea's population might affect the country's military capabilities, among other things. Although it ranks 56th in terms of overall population, the country possesses the world's fourth-largest standing army with around 1.3 million troops.

Those ranks might be eroded by any sudden drop in population, which could threaten the carefully sanctioned and mostly isolated communist administration. To keep its economy stable, North Korea also uses a large, centrally organized workforce.

Compared to Other Nations

While several of North Korea's neighbors have instituted government incentive schemes to encourage young families, the fertility rate in North Korea remains higher.

Last year, the fertility rate in South Korea hit a record low of 0.78, while Japan hit a new low of 1.26, according to Fox News.

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North korea, Kim jong un