Governing a Greying East Asia - Fertility Decline and Policy Response: A Case Study of Japan and South Korea

Abstract: Over the past few decades, Japan and South Korea have experienced unprecedented levels of population ageing brought about by the countries’ persistent sub-replacement fertility rates. This fertility decline has to be addressed in order to ensure future social stability and economic growth. The primary purpose of this thesis is to determine the primary drivers behind these low fertility rates. The secondary purpose is to investigate the governmental responses to these factors. A key objective of the study is to test the applicability of the second demographic transition theory for the context of the two cases through the utilization of a mixed-methods approach. On the basis of the results of this research, it can be concluded that the second demographic transition theory is not fully applicable, and does not fully represent the key drivers behind the low fertility levels of Japan and South Korea. It was found that the work-family conflict plays an important part in understanding the underlying forces of low fertility in both cases. Finally, the thesis concludes that both governments have recognized the importance of raising the birth rates for the future of their economies, have begun to expand and prioritize family-support programs and are subsequently steadily moving away from their former productivist approach to social welfare.