As it tries to encourage citizens to give birth amid a worrying decline in newborns, the South Korean government plans to grant a "rewarding" financial reward to every woman who gives birth to a child.
According to the website "Chosen Elbo," South Korean parliamentarians agreed to allocate a reward of $ 2,200 per woman to give birth.
Both the ruling Democratic Party and the opposition Freedom Party agreed to introduce the reward to next year's budget.
The award is due to go into effect in South Korea starting in October 2019. But the measure has not been dismissed.
Critics of the resolution see parliamentarians seeking to gain popularity in the street, hoping to strengthen their chances in the general elections for the year 2020.
Since this Asian country has 300,000 births per year, the total cost of this decision will be approximately $ 666 million.
South Korean officials fear the country's reluctance to reproduce could affect labor availability and economic growth in the near future.
Many Koreans are reluctant to have children because of the rising cost of living, as well as women's keenness on their career prospects.
