Kim Jong-un
In a video from a recent event, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un wipes tears and appears emotional as he calls for efforts to address the country’s declining birth rates and encourages women to have more children.
He is seen in the video, which is circulating on social media, looking down and wiping away tears. Numerous spectators can also be seen wiping away their tears.
In addition, he praised moms for their contribution to bolstering national authority.
Kim Jong Un CRIES while telling North Korean women to have more babies.
The dictator shed tears while speaking at the National Mothers Meeting as he urged women to boost the countries birth rate. pic.twitter.com/J354CyVnln
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) December 5, 2023
“Preventing a decline in birth rates and good childcare are all of our housekeeping duties we need to handle while working with mothers,” Kim was quoted as saying by the news agency Reuters at the event for mothers in Pyongyang on Sunday.
“I too always think about mothers when I have a hard time dealing with the party and the state’s work,” Kim said.
According to estimates from the UN Population Fund, North Korea’s fertility rate—the average number of children born to a woman—was estimated to be 1.8 in 2023. This is despite an extended decline in the rate over the previous few decades.
Compared to some of North Korea’s neighbors, who have been dealing with a similar declining trend, the fertility rate is still higher.
Japan’s fertility rate dropped to 1.26 last year, while South Korea’s fell to a record low of 0.78.
There is a paediatrician shortage in South Korea as a result of declining birth rates, but one city is using matchmaking to increase birth rates.
With a population of roughly 25 million, North Korea has also faced severe food shortages in recent years, including a fatal famine in the 1990s, which was frequently brought on by natural disasters like floods that destroyed harvests.
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