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In the 1980s, the Republic of Korea, which tried to give birth to one and raise it well, has now become a country that is worried about the declining population.

Last year, the number of residents registered in Korea decreased by about 20,000 people from the previous year, and for the first time since the statistics were prepared, it naturally declined.

In particular, small and medium-sized cities in rural areas where a lot of young people have left, it is getting harder and harder to hear babies crying.

That is why local governments are rushing to offer a childbirth subsidy system, which is how much they will pay for a house to give birth to a baby.



First, reporter Jeong Da-eun covered the scene.



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An elementary school in Jecheon, Chungcheongbuk-do, is about to close in March.



[Sang-cheol Ryu/Vice-Principal of Elementary School: 14 students are enrolled.

Students who are closed will study together at the nearby Songhak Elementary School.] It



is a village in Jecheon, Chungbuk, and although it is a village near an elementary school, it is difficult to find children.



In the last 5 years, there have been no new children in this village.



In Jecheon City last year, there were more than 500 deaths than births, so the population declined.



From this year, Jecheon City started a policy of paying back 40 million won in housing loans for the third child.



[Park Joo-yeon/First beneficiary: I decided to live in Jecheon because it was too busy in Seoul to get a house to raise the first and second...

(Jecheon City) helps to raise and raise children (it is less burdensome)]



The city of Changwon, Gyeongsangnam-do has decided to increase the subsidy so that if the newlyweds have a third child, they will pay up to KRW 100 million in loans instead.



Still, prospective couples are agitated.



[Park Sang-Hyun/Gyeongnam Changwon-si: (More than money) If both of you work, it seems to be the most troublesome thing.]



[Gwan-hee Jeon / Changwon-si, Gyeongnam: It costs more than 100 million when raising one person.

Even if I give 100 million people like that, I don't think it will give birth to three people.] It



is an evaluation that it is not enough as a fundamental solution.



[Yunsoyoung / Gyeongnam Women's Organizations Union secretary general: what, who will take care of your children when you go to work, I'm to continue if you can give maintains able to work life is such a multifaceted measures nawayaji climb the birthrate]



last year in childbirth grant competition Local governments across the country's cash childbirth support amounted to KRW 393.9 billion, a 34.4% increase from a year ago



(Video editing: Jiyoung Hwang, VJ: Mingu Jung, CG: Seongbeom Jang)