Korea's overly competitive education and declining total fertility rate — 0.75 in 2024 — are social phenomena that are closely related to each other. This issue can be discussed from several perspectives.

Korea is well known for its entrance exam-oriented education system. Students must study a vast amount starting from middle school to prepare for high school and college entrance exams.

This competitive environment places great stress on students and forces them to prioritize academic achievement. Therefore, many families invest huge amounts of money in private education for their children. This adds to the financial burden and pushes parents to devote more time and resources to ensuring their children's success.

These high education and living costs further increase the cost of raising children, making them hesitant to have children. Many young people find it difficult to have children without financial........

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