SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, chief of the Korea Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI), delivered opening remarks at a meeting of a Korea-Japan committee on tackling low birth rates in Sendai, Japan, on Sunday, according to KCCI.

A survey released Sunday shows that more than 80 percent of young Koreans are interested in marriage, compared with just 57.6 percent of young Japanese singles.

The poll was conducted from June to July on 2,000 Koreans and 2,000 Japanese aged 20 to 39. It found that 81.4 percent of the surveyed Koreans were interested in marriage, according to a bilateral committee dealing with promoting regional growth and tackling low birth rates and aging societies.

The committee was launched on the occasion of a Korea-Japan summit last year and is co-headed by the chiefs of each country's Chamber of Commerce & Industry. Its focus reflects how low birth rates have moved beyond social policy into the domain of business and economic planning: both governments and industry groups have warned that shrinking workforces and aging populations weigh on long-term growth, labor supply, and pension and healthcare systems. Both South Korea and Japan face demographic challenges related to chronically low birth rates and rapidly aging populations, which have made the topic a growing policy priority in both countries.

According to the survey, 18.6 percent of Koreans said they had no interest in ever getting married, while the corresponding figure among Japanese respondents was 42.4 percent.

Regarding the ideal number of children, two was the most popular choice among Koreans at 52.6 percent, followed by one at 17 percent and three or more at 7.3 percent. Among Japanese respondents, two was also the most popular answer at 28.9 percent, followed by three or more at 12.2 percent and one at 9.4 percent.

When asked about conditions for marriage, the most common answer was employment and income stability for both oneself and one's spouse, cited by 51.8 percent of Koreans and 41.1 percent of Japanese. The emphasis on economic security as a precondition for marriage aligns with broader policy debates in both countries, where governments have introduced measures such as housing support, childcare subsidies, and parental leave in an effort to reduce the financial barriers to marriage and childbearing. What remains to be seen is whether the gap between Koreans' stated interest in marriage and persistently low birth rates in both countries translates into changed family-formation behavior, a question the bilateral committee's ongoing work is expected to track.

Source: The Korea Times