South Korea is facing one of the most serious demographic challenges in the world today.
With a fertility rate of just 0.75 children per woman, the country holds the lowest birth rate globally.
The government has responded with generous cash incentives, extended parental leave, housing subsidies, and even support for hiring domestic help.
But despite billions spent, birth rates continue to fall.
From my perspective, these efforts are missing the point entirely.
Why Money Isn’t the Answer
The South Korean government keeps focusing on money, but the real problem isn’t financial—it’s cultural.
It’s about character, priorities, and values.
No amount of money will convince people to get married or have children if their underlying priorities are no longer aligned with those goals.
I’ve watched this play out time and time again.
As long as people are prioritizing careers, independence, or personal fulfillment over family, throwing cash at them won’t change their decisions.
A Shift in Attitudes
The biggest change I’ve noticed is how marriage and children are increasingly viewed as optional, even undesirable.
Prosperity has played a big role in this.
As societies grow wealthier, people start prioritizing comfort, freedom, and personal growth.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing in itself, but it has consequences.
Family and children simply aren’t seen as essential anymore.
This change isn’t something governments can fix with marketing campaigns or policy tweaks.
It’s a deep, internal shift—and it’s happening at a neurological level.
The Psychological Burden of Raising Children
On top of that, parenting in South Korea has become incredibly burdensome.
Children are raised under immense pressure to excel academically, often attending late-night tutoring and competing for spots at top universities.
Parents are spending enormous amounts of time, energy, and money—and they’re not even enjoying it.
From what I’ve observed, it’s not just the kids who are miserable.
The whole experience of parenting becomes transactional, competitive, and exhausting.
No wonder young people don’t want to sign up for it.
Why Neuroscience Holds the Key
If we’re going to reverse this crisis, we need to stop treating it like an economic issue and start understanding it as a biological one.
I believe neuroscience is the key.
Everything from our priorities to our emotional responses is shaped by the brain.
If we can better understand the neurological basis of values like nurturing, bonding, and long-term commitment, we can start to influence those pathways.
I’m not talking science fiction.
I’m talking about real, evidence-based interventions—things like neurofeedback, pharmacological treatments, or educational frameworks that strengthen the brain systems responsible for empathy, connection, and future planning.
South Korea, with its world-class scientific infrastructure, could lead the way here.
I believe the country could return to replacement-level fertility within just a few years—if it’s willing to change direction and invest in the right solutions.
Rethinking Parenting and Education
Of course, neuroscience alone won’t solve everything.
We also need to rethink how we approach education and parenting.
Helicopter parenting is hurting children and burning out parents.
The relentless focus on elite universities and prestigious jobs is unsustainable.
We’ve got to allow kids to have childhoods again—and let parents enjoy raising them.
What’s wrong with being a builder or an electrician if it gives you a better quality of life and more time with your family?
We need to let go of outdated ideas about status and redefine what success looks like.
What Needs to Change
The answer isn’t more subsidies.
It’s a cultural shift.
We need to value family, community, and balanced lives, not just individual achievement.
We need to stop seeing parenting as a burden and start restoring its meaning.
We need to apply neuroscience to reshape how people feel and think about love, family, and connection.
This will take time.
It will take vision.
But it’s possible—and I believe South Korea is uniquely positioned to make it happen.