Hello everyone. In this video, I would like to talk about a shocking report that came out from the Bank of Korea. What it says is that the increase in the employment rate of women played a significant role in economic growth. It's quite fascinating that such statements have emerged from within the Bank of Korea. Moreover, in the case of Channel A, they have reported on this as well. However, this report was released on September 30, so it hasn't been long since then, and other media outlets have been rather quiet about it. In my opinion, this seems to be a case of not wanting to stir up unnecessary trouble. Lately, both Governor Lee Chang-yong and the Bank of Korea have been quite outspoken. Although I don't know their true intentions, I believe that the emergence of such bold statements is something to be welcomed. Now, let's take a look at an article from Channel A. Governor Lee Chang-yong has been quite forthright recently.

The discussion continues, and this time the Bank of Korea has released a provocative report regarding low birth rates. It states that the increase in women's employment rates is closely related to the declining birth rate. However, by presenting the rise of working women as a reason for low birth rates, it is expected to spark another controversy, such as gender conflict. This was the content of the article. The report is titled Analysis of the Causes and Policy Effects of Low Birth Rates, and it compares and analyzes 35 OECD countries. It was prepared by researchers from the Bank of Korea. Two anonymous reviewers provided comments on this report, which involves a total of five experts. It is emphasized that this is not the official view of the Bank of Korea, but rather the personal opinions of the authors. Of course, I do not see it that way. It seems that Channel A does not view it that way either. So, Lee Chang-yong probably had a hard time with this. Looking at the report, it contains the following information.

Particularly in 2012 and 2021, the decline in birth rates in our country has been significantly influenced by the increase in women's employment rates and the concentration of urban populations. First, it is diagnosed that the concentration of urban populations has the greatest impact. Second, the rise in women's employment rates has been analyzed as having a significant effect on low birth rates. To address this issue, it is suggested to expand budget support related to families, increase the utilization rate of parental leave, and improve youth employment. This is something everyone talks about, but there is a more important aspect. Looking at this from one side, long-term regional balanced development to alleviate concentration in the capital region and the formation of diverse family values is crucial, which relates to the discussion of childbirth. However, the term relaxation of gender equality comes into play. You may have heard a lot about strengthening gender equality, but the Bank of Korea argues for the relaxation of gender equality.

If these structural issues are improved, it will have a positive impact on the rebound of fertility rates in academia. In the case of this report, it was submitted on August 2, 2024, revised on September 11, and confirmed for publication on September 30. Five people reviewed this report. However, as I read through it, I initially saw the term relaxation of gender equality and thought there might have been a mistake. Even GPT seems to express that this might be an error, suggesting that strengthening gender equality is a more appropriate expression. GPT even mentions this. I don’t think it’s a mistake; in my view, it’s a timid statement. If I were to say it’s a timid statement, the expression relaxation of gender equality is contextually ambiguous and not commonly used. By definition, gender equality means a state in which the rights and opportunities of men and women are guaranteed equally.

완화는 어떤 강도나 엄격함을 줄이거나 느슨하게 한다는 의미이고, 따라서 양성 평등 완화는 양성 평등 수준을 낮추거나 줄이자는 의미입니다. 즉, 남성과 여성의 평등한 권리와 기회를 제안하거나 불평등을 다시 허용하는 방향으로 나아가는 것을 의미할 수 있습니다. 차치 피티도 좀 은근히 스위 하거든요. 뭐 그런 거 좀 감안하시면 보시면 될 것 같은데, 결국 이 보고서는 양성 평등 완화를 이야기하고 싶은 거예요. 대한민국이 최근 20년 동안 양성 평등을 강화하자고 하면서 여성 우대 정책을 많이 펼쳤죠. 하지만 오히려 남자는 차별받고 여자는 우대받았어요. 이건 진정한 양성 평등이 된 게 아니고, 여자 우대 정책이었어요. 그동안 대한민국의 정책은 그것을 지금 한국은행은 완화하자는 거예요. 즉, 너무

The issue is that as time goes on, these interests are taking away too many jobs from the young people. As a result, they are able to make a living and are not getting married. Everyone's eyes are on the ceiling, and I pointed this out. After seeing this, I really want to applaud Channel A for the report they did. I have been making this argument for a long time, and many people in the community have also voiced similar concerns. As women's participation in society increases, the problem of low birth rates becomes more serious. Of course, I do not mean to say that women should not enter the workforce. What I mean is that we should strive for fairness. While men are busy serving in the military, is there any compensation for that? There is none. The military service points have been abolished. We have a women's quota system for companies with more than 500 employees, and there are various support points and preferential treatment for female reporters. For example, in the field of firefighting, which is similar to the military...

Does the police physical fitness test seem like a men's competition? And in fact, do they properly fulfill their roles in their duties? So why do they continue to hold such positions? This means they are looking for good jobs, and the conclusion is that they are not doing it. When economic conditions arise, men choose marriage, while women prefer being single. Looking at actual statistical data, as men's income increases, their marriage rates also tend to rise. However, in the case of these individuals, it resembles a U-shape. It looks like Nike. Those with mid-range incomes do not get married. In contrast, those with lower incomes are more proactive about marriage. This has been pointed out by the Bank of Korea. What is the reality in South Korea now? As of 2023, the effective job vacancy ratio is 0.58. It should be 1, which means job openings and job seekers are equal. In Japan, the ratio is currently above 1.

There are plenty of jobs available. In South Korea, the job availability rate is 0.58. While it may seem like there are many jobs, the reality is that there is a shortage of jobs, especially quality jobs. In this situation, when we consider gender equality in the job market, it could be fair if it were handled appropriately. However, it is not fair; instead, there is excessive preferential treatment for women. This is contributing to a decline in marriage rates and ultimately leading to a collapse of the nation. This cannot continue. I believe this is reflected in the recent report from the Bank of Korea, which used the term relaxation of gender equality. Anyway, let's give a round of applause. 

Now, let's look at the issue of social advancement. The decline in birth rates can largely be attributed to the increase in women's participation in society. Although there are various problems arising from this, the most significant issue is the drop in birth rates. Women instinctively prefer men who have better income and asset capabilities than themselves. However, with the increase in women's income due to their social advancement, relatively...

The number of capable men is decreasing, which means that women in the marriage market have fewer options to choose from, leading to many giving up on marriage. Instead of marrying a man who is less capable than themselves, they choose not to marry at all. In the West, the trend of marrying men with similar or lower abilities has somewhat compensated for the decline in marriage rates. However, in our country, women have a high economic dependency on men, so they tend to avoid men with similar or lower economic status, which has prevented the compensation for the decline in marriage rates. This is where the significant drop in marriage rates occurs. Additionally, as income levels rise, more men with higher incomes are getting married, which raises the average standard of living in marriages. Average-income men find it difficult to cope alone, leading to a greater number of men seeking dual-income households.

The phenomenon of dual-income households has accelerated the decline in marriage rates. It's obvious that raising children while working makes things more challenging. To break this vicious cycle, we need to promote social participation among the younger generation and ensure that quality jobs are available for men. In the past, there were many analyses linking the increase in social participation of young people with the decrease in birth rates. However, starting from a certain point, those statistics began to disappear. That point coincided with the increase in the power of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. In South Korea, up until the early 2010s, there were reports on this issue. Even around 2012 and 2013, some information was still being published. However, in the last decade, there has been a noticeable absence of such reports. These reports, which may have been inconvenient for certain groups, simply did not come out. Recently, however, a report was released not by a general economic research institute but by the Bank of Korea. In any case, from my perspective, South Korea is currently facing a critical situation.

In Korea, the situation is not improving. What choice did our neighboring country, Japan, make? In the case of Japan, when the bubble burst and the economic crisis hit, the Japanese economic organizations and the government chose to support men. They directed quality jobs towards men, providing them with regular employment. Japan also faced a severe employment freeze during that time, which can be compared to the current situation in Korea. In that context, Japan chose to support men, while South Korea started to implement a divide-and-share approach between men and women. As a result, South Korea has been devastated, and although Japan's fertility rate is not great, at around 1.2, it is considerably better than ours. This has had a significant impact as well. Anyway, I want to applaud the Bank of Korea for their courageous report. I will conclude this video here. Thank you.

한국은행 충격적 보고서! 여자 고용률 상승 때문에 저출산!

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