Korean TV Personality Seo Jang-hoon Discusses Low Birth Rate Concerns on 'Ask Anything'

Korean TV personality Seo Jang-hoon offered a realistic perspective on a guest's concerns.

On the October 27th episode of KBS Joy's 'Ask Anything', a 74-year-old guest who has run a health food company for 31 years and is now the chairman of the 'Kim Young-sik Three Children Birth Support Foundation' appeared to discuss the issue of low birth rates.

The guest expressed concern for South Korea's future, highlighting the severity of the low birth rate issue. Despite providing 2 million won per mother for third-child births, he lamented the inability to support all applicants due to limited resources.

He further shocked the audience by revealing that around 200 elementary schools couldn't hold entrance ceremonies due to a lack of first graders, and predicted a population decrease of 2.3 million in 15 years. Seo Jang-hoon agreed, stating that while support is increasing, tangible benefits for childless couples are necessary.

The guest's philanthropic efforts date back 20 years when he read an article about low birth rates on a plane. He began by supporting employees with third children with 12.2 million won from his company. He later extended this support to cafe members, offering 2 million won for third-child births from personal earnings.

He has since donated over 900 million won to families with three children and established a foundation with 2 billion won, which he has been running for a decade. However, the support is limited, with only about 50 out of 300 applicants receiving aid each session.

He shared touching stories, including raising a 'son born from the heart' inspired by a nurse's story. When asked about future goals, he expressed a desire to support not only three-child families but also single-child families, aiming to help all mothers without exclusion.

He concluded by reflecting on life, stating, "There is an age to earn money and an age to spend it. I hope many people and companies will join in supporting three-child mothers and, ultimately, South Korea."

Meanwhile, 'Ask Anything' episode 362 airs on October 27th at 8 PM and will be available on major online platforms like YouTube and Facebook after the broadcast.

Kim Se-ah, TenAsia Reporter haesmik@tenasia.co.kr