Economy
South Korea Is Trying to Boost its Birth Rate. It's Not Working.
The country needs to convince more couples to have children. But its biggest city is no paradise for parents.
Lydia Park crawls after her nine-month-old daughter, Irene, who’s busy exploring a brand-new playroom inside a community center in Seoul, South Korea. Irene’s just woken from her nap and she’s full of energy.
First she heads for the colorful building blocks in the back of the room, then finds her way to pretend kitchen in the corner. She races another baby up a little ramp, and before long, she’s wading in a pit of pastel-colored plastic balls. All the while, Park’s reflexes are tested as she repeatedly stops Irene from putting toys into her mouth.