Confronting the world's lowest birthrate, Seoul is turning to an unconventional roster of ambassadors to demonstrate that raising children in the South Korean capital can be both feasible and enjoyable.

South Korea's total fertility rate fell to 0.72 in 2023 — the lowest of any country globally and far below the 2.1 needed for population stability. Seoul's rate has historically tracked even lower than the national figure, intensifying pressure on municipal leaders to find approaches beyond the more than 300 trillion won in national pro-natalist spending committed since 2006.

On Thursday, municipal officials announced the selection of eight families to serve as the public faces of the city's family-friendly policy campaign. The cohort includes veteran film actor Shin Hyun-joon, a national paper airplane champion, and an "infant stroller running" enthusiast, among others.

The families were chosen from nearly 500 applicant households — a competitive 60:1 selection ratio — and form the fourth group of "Seoul I Ambassadors," where "I" means child in Korean. Over the next six months, they will produce social media content, test municipal childcare programs, and take part in public campaigns designed to normalize and encourage parenthood in an increasingly expensive urban environment.

The initiative represents City Hall's expanding strategy to address demographic challenges through lifestyle marketing in addition to direct cash subsidies. Previous national efforts — including baby bonuses, housing subsidies for newlyweds, and expanded parental leave — have not reversed the decline, which has continued since the population began shrinking in 2020. Officials broadened this year's ambassador criteria beyond traditional young nuclear families to encompass multi-generational households, multicultural couples, pregnant mothers, and families raising school-aged children.

The Shin family, led by the prolific actor and his three children, offers the city a high-profile platform to promote after-school care programs and subsidized dining options, given his cross-generational appeal. The Kangaroo family includes a member of a local stroller-running crew who will spotlight urban fitness initiatives. The Yoosin family represents a three-generation household where grandparents receive municipal stipends for assisting with childcare.

"In the past, urban parenthood was often framed solely through the lens of economic strain," said Ma Chae-sook, director general of the Women and Family Policy Affairs Office at Seoul Metropolitan Government. "By broadening our ambassador roster to reflect how modern families actually live — from multi-generational co-living to multicultural households — we want citizens to see the real, day-to-day viability of raising kids in Korea's largest metropolis."

Beginning in August, the eight ambassador families will share their firsthand experiences with city services — including municipal indoor play sites, subsidized taxi credits for parents, and night-and-weekend daycare facilities — across Instagram, YouTube, and webtoons. Through candid, peer-to-peer storytelling, city officials aim to shift public perception and cultivate a culture that genuinely welcomes children into the capital.

Source: The Korea Times