Number of S. Korea's newborns falls in July

By Koh Byung-joon
SEOUL, Sept. 29 (Yonhap) -- The number of babies born in South Korea fell in July from a year earlier despite the government's efforts to encourage childbirth, a government report showed Monday.

According to the report by the National Statistical Office, the number of newborn
infants totaled 38,300 in July, down 1,200 or 3 percent from the same period a
year earlier. In the first seven months of this year, a total of 279,000 babies
had been born, compared with 284,000 a year before.
The decline is attributed to a relatively sharp rise in the number of births in
2007, as many people believed that babies born during the "year of the golden
pig" will enjoy prosperity. The pig is the 12th and final animal in the Asian
zodiac and many here cherish the animal as a symbol of wealth and prosperity.
The number of marriages, meanwhile, increased, the report showed.
Couples who tied the knot in July totaled 26,300, up 1,300 or 5.2 percent from a
year earlier. The figure brought the number of marriages during the first seven
months of this year to 194,300.
Divorces also declined, according to the report. A total of 9,200 cases of
divorce were filed in July, down 1,300 or 12.4 percent compared with the same
period of 2007. During the first seven months, 74,200 couples had filed for
divorce, up 1,700 from a year ago, the report showed.
kokobj@yna.co.kr
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