A lot of developed countries are facing this problem. SK need not worry. It cannot be avoid once u r developed.
That is true but your categorization is reductionist. Offcourse developed countries and countries with already large populations will have lower fertility.
However, its about healthy balance of economic progress, social preservation, and healthy family demographics. This is where East Asia has lagged behind (in terms of balancing these aspects).
Essentially, East Asians (Koreans in particular) sacrificed their culture and traditions, got massively Westernized in terms of clothing, music, sexual relations, family-structure, social values etc, and are facing demographic disaster all because they developed extremely
too rapidly when it came to economic production,
without balancing social/family/demographic life. Muslim world didn't take this approach and even "West-aligned" and "liberal/secular" Muslim countries like Turkey (somewhat relevant comparison) kept their culture, traditions, family-structure, and social norms and didn't open themselves to total westernization of their land/cultures just for the sake of extremely rapid development like East Asians did. There was more balance between development priorities and maintaining one's traditional cultural, familial and social norms
Turns out, this is a better approach in hindsight.....not what S.Korea did. Let me reflect it via Turkey vs Korea quick comparison (since they both started with almost same base in 1960)
In early 1960's
Population:
Turkey: 27 million
S.Korea: 26 million
Median Age:
Turkey:19.4
Korea: 19
GDP per capita (PPP): Similar (both countries were extremely low-income)
Late 2010's
Population:
Turkey: 82 million with about 2 kids per woman on average (a bit unhealthy TFR vis-a-vis ideal)
S.Korea: 50 million with only about 1 kid per woman (
extremely unhealthy TFR vis-a-vis ideal)
GDP per capita (PPP):
Turkey: ~$30k per person
S.Korea: ~$40k per person
Median age:
Turkey: 31 years
S. Korea: 42 years
One-Fact that elucidates my point further: South Korea fell
below-replacement fertility rate at ~$5k to $6k GDP per capita (PPP). Turkey fell
below-replacement fertility rate at
~$27k GDP per capita (PPP)
With a more balanced and more holistic development model: Korea could have been
FAR more promising and powerful nation today with say 80 million Koreans, with a median age of 34 or 35, and a GDP per capita of $33k-$35k etc.
Developing
too fast can have many long-lasting negative externalities for a nation. But I guess its much better to develop
too fast than to develop
too slow like is the case with us in the subcontinent
Most developed countries aren't as bad as East Asia, and in the West they absorb immigrants to slow the demographic decline.
True. East Asia developed
too rapidly for its own good in some ways. But my last two lines above summarize it lol