Actor Kim Dong-wan (46) from the group Shinhwa left a post about the low birthrate debate, saying, "I want people to look at the youth suicide rate first."

Shin Hwa Kim Dong-wan strikes a pose on the red carpet at the 2025 Seoul International Film Awards at Seoul Dragon City in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 10th. /Courtesy of News1

Kim Dong-wan recently wrote on his social media (SNS), "Rather than pointless worrying about the birthrate, I want people to look at the youth suicide rate first," adding, "We also need oversight and intervention for parents who fail to fulfill their roles."

Kim added, "More than saying we should have more children, a society where children already born want to live comes first."

Kim cited the film "The 52-Hertz Whales" as the reason he decided to write the post.

He explained, "Even while saying over and over how much they dislike Japan, Korea copies it as is every few years."

The 52-Hertz Whales is a film about a woman who moves to a seaside town carrying wounds and recognizes the "SOS" of a boy who has lost his speech, reaching out her hand.

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