A tearful Kim Jong-un asks North Korean women to have more children to combat falling birth rates. Which undermines the country’s solidity. At a televised event, the National Mothers’ Meeting in Pyongyang, the leader spoke to an audience of women. Honest words, between tears and sobbing, with frequent use of a handkerchief to dry the tears. “Preventing the birth rate from falling and ensuring that children are taken care of are duties that we must consider while cooperating with mothers,” Kim said, addressing the women, many of whom were dressed in traditional clothing, and all or most of whom were moved and engaged by the continuous applause.

“These goals include raising children to advance our revolution relentlessly, eliminating non-socialist practices that have been on the rise in recent times, promoting family harmony and social unity, establishing a suitable pattern of cultural and social life, allowing communist values ​​of solidarity to prevail in our society, and halting the decline of birth rates.” And caring for children with effective education,” Kim said. North Korea’s demographic picture is unclear.

The last official census dates back to 2008, when the population was 24 million people. According to estimates by international experts, the number has now reached 25.7 million. According to data released by South Korean government agencies, North Korea is actually dealing with a sharp decline in births: from an average of 1.88 children per woman in 2014, the number drops to 1.79 in 2022.