I don’t see mention of the real reason. Women are refusing. Because life in Korea sucks. Huge pressures to perform, low wages, high prices. It’s hard to start a family when there’s no hope for a better life for you or those you love. Theres even a name for the movement and catchy slogans. What was it? seventy percent of women agreed with the statement “Korea is hellish?” Why would you bring a child into hell?
Requires a very narrow definition of “country.” Quite a few countries have disappeared in my lifetime. South Korea comprises half of a former country that disappeared in the 20th century. On India’s border the former sovereign country of Tibet ceased to exist as an independent state in 1951.
There are more interesting ways to talk about fertility than extrapolating it out to infinity.<p>South Korea isn't going to "disappear". Not unless its northern neighbor decides to nuke it.<p>But it is going to have to figure out what to do with a population that consists of many old people and few young people. Maybe it'll be just fine, if it has sufficient automation to support its elderly and produce enough wealth. Or maybe it'll have a crisis where there just aren't enough people around to do the work.<p>That seems considerably more worth talking about than talking about a curve that asymptotically approaches zero.
Maybe this is for good. So many wars, criminality, and pollution issues due to overcrowded spaces.<p>Potentially increasing as well, due to climate making some places very though to live.<p>1B humans supported by automation could perhaps live in better conditions than 8B in a crowded space.