Could one find some freedom from marriage and childbirth by leaving Seoul? In an era of a total fertility rate of 0.75, South Korea is heading towards a population cliff. There are those who have left to seek a new life in the regions, escaping the high housing prices and fierce competition in Seoul. In the second part of the KBS documentary on low birth rates 'Should We Have a Child?', we will meet those who have chosen life in another space called the region, stepping away from life in Seoul. There are various conditions in that place, such as spacious living areas, a nature-friendly environment, and a sense of community that encourages one another, which could transform marriage and childbirth from 'giving up' to 'choosing'. Is the practical answer to the problem of low birth rates something we can find in the regions?
▲ 'I'm Solo' wannabe couple, Oh Jeong-du and Kim HANSSEM! Their special life in the region
Kim HANSSEM (34), who worked as a UX designer at a large company in Seoul. Work was her top priority, and she met her husband Jung-du in Busan through the popular dating show 'I'm Solo', becoming a couple. After having a child, the two lived as a weekend couple, commuting between Seoul and Busan, but both their bodies and minds became exhausted. Conflicted between wanting to build her career in Seoul and wanting to be with family, Kim HANSSEM grappled with deep worries. Ultimately, the couple decided to move to Ulsan, but it was not easy. They had to give up various infrastructures such as welfare, education, and culture that they could enjoy in Seoul. However, daily life with their child in Ulsan gradually changed her perspective. She even gained the confidence that she could raise her child well whether in Seoul or Ulsan. What made Kim HANSSEM change her mind?
▲ Parenting, work, and even quality of life—simultaneously capturing three hares!
After meeting in Mokpo and getting married, Kim Min-ji (36) and Park Myung-ho (38) are raising their 17-month-old child. They sold their life in Seoul and settled in Mokpo, where they secured a 33-pyeong APT. and used the remaining money to buy a vehicle. Most importantly, the couple enjoys a lifestyle they could not have imagined in Seoul. Just stepping out of their home, their child's daycare and both of their workplaces are within a 5-minute drive. They are experiencing the so-called 'walkable living zone.' In the past, Min-ji observed the hardships of working mothers up close while working at a leading advertising agency. Even when the child was sick, she could not rush to help, and work schedules always took precedence over the child's needs. However, now that they have moved to Mokpo, Min-ji adjusts her work schedule around her child's drop-off and pick-up times and even works two jobs. They have captured both parenting and work while also improving their quality of life, prompting reflection on new ways of living and values.
▲ Young people returning to their hometowns, dreaming of family
The primary reason people flock to the metropolitan area is 'jobs.' People gather from all over the country in search of good employment. However, there is a young person who has returned to the regions. Lee Kang-hee (30), who worked as a game developer in Seoul for six years, rose through the ranks and built a career in the industry. But pressured by skyrocketing housing prices, he was forced to move to the outskirts, pushing life plans such as marriage and childbirth further away. He returned to his hometown of Hadong. After transforming from a developer into a branding marketer, he is now focusing on various businesses, including manufacturing, and carving out a new life. The life in the regions that filled his once-empty heart has made him reflect on what a true family means. He shows that returning to the regions is not a failure, but could perhaps lead to a better life.
▲ Together raising and growing children: communal childcare in Busan's Daecheon Village
There is a special space in Hwamyung-dong, Buk-gu, Busan, where the cool Daecheon Stream flows. It is a place directly operated by parents who share a common goal of communal childcare in a cooperative form. After school, children gather together to take care of one another and freely play in nature, learning what it means to 'live together.' Meanwhile, there is also communal housing prepared by six member households. There, children grow up like siblings, moving between each others' homes. This is a scene unimaginable in the apartment complexes of Seoul. The saying 'It takes a village to raise a child' has become a reality.
The second part of 'Should We Have a Child?' seeks practical answers to the low birth rate issue through stories of individuals creating new lives outside of Seoul; it will be broadcast on KBS1 on June 1 at 9:40 p.m.
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