Mothers' burdens block South Korea plan to lower school entry age

Proposal aimed at increasing population dropped amid fierce public backlash

20220824 birthrate in SK1

People in Seoul protest on Aug. 5 against the now-scrapped proposal to lower the entry age for school. © Yonhap

YOSUKE ONCHI, Nikkei Seoul bureau chief

SEOUL -- The South Korean government is struggling to address the country's worryingly low fertility rate, which has accelerated the graying of the populace.

The Education Ministry was forced to retract a proposal to change the school enrollment by one year to age five after it provoked a fierce public backlash. It was intended to encourage people to get married earlier and ultimately ease the labor shortage.

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