South Korea's Birth Rate Struggle (August 2024 PDF)

**READING PASSAGE 3\ \ ** **\ CEFR C1+** **FK 13.25** **South Korea\'s birth rate drive struggles to sway \'YOLO\' generation** **(August 27, 2024)** +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | **1** | As South Korea scrambles to halt...

**READING PASSAGE 3\ \ ** **\ CEFR C1+** **FK 13.25** **South Korea\'s birth rate drive struggles to sway \'YOLO\' generation** **(August 27, 2024)** +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | **1** | As South Korea scrambles to halt | | | the sharp decline in its birth | | **2** | rate, policymakers are having a | | | hard time convincing many in | | **3** | their 20s and 30s that parenthood | | | is a better investment than | | **4** | stylish clothes or fancy | | | restaurants. Asia\'s | | **5** | fourth-largest economy plans to | | | launch a new government ministry | | **6** | dedicated to demographic | | | challenges after years of | | **7** | incentives failed to ease the | | | baby crisis. But for Park Yeon, a | | | 28-year-old fashion Instagrammer | | | and aspiring singer, spending | | | choices are guided mostly by her | | | appetites for clothing and | | | travel, leaving little budget for | | | marriage and babies. \"I\'m all | | | about YOLO (you only live | | | once),\" said Park as she sells | | | her Supreme T-shirts at a thrift | | | fashion festival in Seoul\'s | | | high-fashion enclave of | | | Seongsu-dong. \"There is not | | | enough left to save each month | | | after I do things to reward | | | myself. Getting married might | | | happen at some point but being | | | happy right now is more | | | important, right?\" | | | | | | South Korea continues to break | | | its own record for having the | | | world\'s lowest birth rate, which | | | hit a fresh low last year. | | | Sociologists say the lifestyle | | | priorities of Koreans in their | | | 20s and 30s (Generations Y and Z | | | ) mean they spend more and save | | | less on average than the wider | | | population or their peers in | | | other countries, neither of which | | | are conducive to building | | | families. \"They are status | | | hunting. Their high spending | | | habits show young people are | | | working on their own emblems of | | | success online rather than | | | focusing on the impossible goals | | | of settling down and have | | | children,\" said Jung Jae-hoon, a | | | sociology professor at Seoul | | | Women\'s University. | | | | | | Not even South Korea\'s | | | aggressive interest rate hikes | | | over the past three years have | | | been able to rein in youthful | | | spending. Central bank data shows | | | the savings rate for those in | | | their 30s declined to 28.5 per | | | cent in the first quarter from | | | 29.4 per cent five years ago, | | | while that for all other age | | | groups increased in the same | | | period. At the same time, people | | | in their 20s and 30s make up the | | | biggest spenders at department | | | stores and top-tier hotels while | | | their travel spending rose to | | | 40.1 per cent from 33.3 per cent | | | in the past three years. The | | | proportion of spending by those | | | in their 20s at high-end | | | department stores has almost | | | doubled to 12 per cent in the | | | three years while that for all | | | other age groups declined. | | | | | | Last year alone, revenue at | | | pricey buffet restaurants jumped | | | 30.3 per cent, versus a gain of | | | 10.5 per cent at fast food | | | restaurants and nine per cent for | | | the entire dining industry, | | | according to market research firm | | | Euromonitor. In one example, | | | sales at a restaurant at Seoul | | | Dragon City Hotel, a popular | | | Instagram spot, jumped 150 per | | | cent for its 90,000 won | | | all-you-can-eat strawberry | | | dessert, even after the hotel | | | hiked the price by 12.5 per cent. | | | | | | Koreans\' fancy tastes have made | | | them the world\'s biggest | | | per-capita and the country has | | | become a hot destination for the | | | biggest luxury brands. Chanel, | | | Celine and Dior have all signed | | | deals with teen-focused K-pop | | | groups such as Blackpink and | | | NewJeans as global brand | | | ambassadors. | | | | | | Financial hardship is by far the | | | biggest reason South Koreans | | | cited for not having children, | | | according to a survey by research | | | firm PMI Co. About 46 per cent of | | | 1,800 respondents blamed either | | | job uncertainty or education | | | costs for this decision. That is | | | worsened by annual incomes only | | | rising two per cent for those in | | | their 20s and 30s last year, | | | slower than the 4.5 per cent | | | increase for all households, | | | according to Statistics Korea. | | | Youth's focus on more immediate | | | pleasures also explains why young | | | people do not respond to the | | | government\'s subsidy-based baby | | | boosting policies. | | | | | | The Yoon Suk-yeol administration | | | in May announced a plan to create | | | a new ministry to focus on | | | demographic issues, after dozens | | | of policy measures including | | | subsidies to reverse vasectomies, | | | cash support for families with | | | newborns, free taxi rides and | | | longer paid childcare leave | | | failed to reverse the plunging | | | birth rates. In a survey of 17 | | | advanced countries by the US Pew | | | Research Centre in 2021 asking | | | what makes life meaningful, South | | | Korea was the only country where | | | material well-being was the top | | | response. Elsewhere, family or | | | health was the top answer. For | | | Park Yeon, having children is an | | | add-on she may consider if her | | | singing career takes off. \"If | | | things work out well with what I | | | do, savings and getting married | | | and all those will follow. For | | | now, enjoying my life and working | | | on my dream job are my | | | priorities,\" she said. | | | | | | (750 words) | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ **Questions 26-xx** **The diagram below lists down causes/problems and their effects/reasons for failure. Using information from Passage 3, match the CAUSES/PROBLEMS with the correct EFFECTS/REASONS FOR FAILURE to complete the statements. Write your answers A-F in boxes 26-xx on your Answer Sheet.** +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | **Problems** | **Causes** | +===================================+===================================+ | 26\. South Korea is struggling | A. because young South Koreans | | to address its declining birth | prioritize spending on | | rate \_**[C]**\_. | clothing and travelling | | (Summary/C1,7) | | | | B. because of the financial | | 27\. Not saving for marriage or | difficulties they face | | children is | | | \_**[A]**\_. | C. as young adults prioritize | | (SD/C1, 7) | personal enjoyment and | | | material success | | 28\. Savings rates among South | | | Koreans in their 30s are | D. because of their lifestyle | | declining | choices | | \_**[E]**\_. | | | (MI/C1, 7) | E. because interest rate hikes | | | fail to deter young people | | 29\. Young adults in South Korea | from spending | | struggle to settle | | | down**[\_D\_]**. | F. because they work on | | (MI/C1,7) | cultivating an image of | | | success rather than settling | | 30\. Young South Koreans delay | down | | starting a family | | | \_**[B]**\_. | G. due to partnerships between | | (MI/C1,7) | luxury brands and K-pop | | | influencers | | 31\. The focus of Generations Y | | | and Z on status symbols has led | H. because it is perceived as | | to **[F]** (SD/C2, | more meaningful than family | | 8). | life | | | | | 32\. Government policies to | I. because of South Korea's | | boost birth rates have been | materialistic culture | | ineffective **[I]** | | | (MI/C2, 8) | | | | | | 33\. High spending by young | | | South Koreans on luxury goods | | | is **[G]** (SD/C2, | | | 8). | | | | | | 34\. Young South Koreans value | | | material well-being | | | **[H]** (SD/C2, 8) | | | | | | 35\. Social media pressures | | | encourage young adults | | | **[A]** (SD/C2, 8) | | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ Answer Key: 26\. C 27\. A 28\. E 29\. D 30\. B 31\. F 32\. I 33\. G 34\. H 35\. A **MCQs:** **Answer the questions below and write the answers (A, B, C or D) in boxes 35-40 on your answer sheet.** 36\. The purpose of this article is to \_\_\_\_\_\_\_. (Comm Purpose/C1, 7) **A. pinpoint the challenges that prevent South Korea's younger generation from embracing parenthood, despite government efforts to remedy it** B. criticise South Korea's government for failing to create effective policies to spur the growth of birth rate C. shed light on how the rise on how the rise of consumerism has widen the gap between the older and younger generations regarding in family planning D. argue that the youth in South Korea should re-evaluate their priorities and adopt a more family-oriented mindset 37\. In addressing the issue of 'YOLO' generation's lifestyles choices, the writer \_\_\_\_\_\_\_. (Writer's Attitude/C1, 7) A. endorses their lifestyle decisions, perceiving them as indicative of progressiveness B. believes that their choices contribute positively to South Korea\'s economic growth C. **critiques their expenditure patterns and their disinterest in family-oriented values** D. conveys a sense of admiration for their emphasis on personal development and fulfilment 38\. The author is of the opinion regarding the South Korean government\'s efforts to reverse the declining birth rate that \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. (Writer's Opinion/C2, 8) A. despite the government\'s well-intentioned policies, the resistance from the younger generation is a significant barrier B. **the government\'s strategies largely overlook the underlying societal factors driving the reluctance to start families** C. the new government initiatives hold great promise and are likely to effectively address the demographic challenges D. the failure to address deeper economic and cultural shifts means the measures will inevitably be fruitless 39\. The notion that the culture of 'YOLO' generation's lifestyles choices can be supported by the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. (RoA/C2, 8) A. **pervasive societal shift towards individualistic values that prioritize self-actualization over communal obligations** B. increasing trend towards financial stability, where long-term security is more important than instant satisfaction C. increasing societal emphasis on the traditional family as the cornerstone of social stability D. widespread normalization of material consumption as a means to assert social status 40\. From the article, it can be summarised that the influence of social media on young South Koreans is seen as\_\_\_\_\_\_. (Summary/C1, 7) A. **a major contributor to their obsession with material success and luxury consumption** B. an insignificant factor, as their decisions are largely based on economic considerations C. a temporary trend that will fade as they mature and take on family responsibilities D. less important compared to traditional cultural expectations of success