According to a report, a South Korean Protestant Church has unveiled a five-year plan to boost the fertility rate through subsidies and support facilities to tackle low birth rates in the country.
The Yoido Full Gospel Church will prioritise supporting marriage and child-rearing in the coming years, pastor Lee Young-hoon said during a press conference on Feb 14, the Korea Times reported.
The pastor also criticised the government for its ineffective mechanisms in tackling the demographic crisis fuelled by alarming low birth rates.
“Despite the government’s expenditure of trillions of won to resolve this matter, the actual [financial and social] benefits for parents raising children still remain elusive,” Lee said.
Lee pointed out that “fostering ideal conditions for marriage and child-rearing” were the key issues to be addressed.