North Korea's leader breaks down, urges women to boost falling birth rates
Kim Jong-un addressed the 5th Mother's Congress and in an unusual turn of events, he broke down in tears during his speech. He urged women to bear more children amidst issues of a decreasing birth rate. Various international organizations have attributed this decline in birth rates to the widespread hunger and challenging economic conditions experienced by North Korean citizens.
8:30 AM EST, December 7, 2023
At the 5th National Mothers' Congress, which was held in Pyongyang after 11 years, Kim Jong-un made an appearance. He expressed concerns over the natural growth rate in North Korea during his speech, encouraging women to produce more offspring.
Kim Jong-un makes emotional plea to Korean women
"We must handle the prevention of birth rate decrease and careful upbringing of our children; these are our domestic responsibilities which we have to manage alongside mothers," said Kim Jong-un as reported by KCNA Agency.
Throughout the event, Kim Jong-un maintained a sorrowful expression and even broke into tears at one point. The women in the audience participated in this shared sorrow. Kim Jong-un stressed to them that preparing the young generation to bolster societal power is their "primary revolutionary duty".
"A mother who does not believe in communism will not raise her sons and daughters as communists or transform her family members into revolutionaries," he declared.
The Ministry of Unification in South Korea noted that for the first time, Kim Jong-un publicly acknowledged the decline in birth rate. The fertility rate in North Korea has dipped to 1.79 from 1.88 in 2014. Although the decline is slower than in South Korea, where the birth rate was 0.78 last year compared to 1.20 in 2014.
It's challenging to compile exact birth data due to the limited statistics released by North Korea. Estimates from the South Korean government suggest the fertility rate in its northern neighbor has been on the decline for the last decade.
"Due to financial instability, many families in North Korea are currently hesitant to have more than one child. This is because raising a child, providing education and employment assistance requires substantial financial resources," commented Ahn Kyung-su, head of DPRKHealth.org.
