South Korea’s ‘Super-Aging’ Challenge

This podcast episode explores South Korea's urgent demographic challenge, marked by an aging population and a record low fertility rate of 0.72, prompting the government to declare a national emergency. It discusses the immediate and systemic drivers of this crisis, including the pandemic's effects on family life and soaring housing costs. The conversation also considers potential solutions, such as significant financial investments and various policy reforms aimed at improving work-life balance and addressing gender wage gaps. Ultimately, the episode emphasizes the critical need to reverse these trends to protect the country's economic future.