Number of S. Korea's newborns plunges in October

(ATTN: CORRECTS number in 2nd, last para)
SEOUL, Dec. 29 (Yonhap) -- The number of babies born in South Korea fell sharply in October 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
newborns totaled 40,000 in October, down 5,600 or 12.3 percent from a year
earlier. In the first 10 months of this year, 397,200 babies were born, down 5.1
percent from the same period a year before.
The decline is attributed to a relatively sharp increase in the number of births
in 2007, as many people believed that babies born during the "year of the golden
pig" would enjoy prosperity. The pig is the 12th and final animal in the Asian
zodiac and many here see the animal as a symbol of wealth and prosperity.
The number of marriages also decreased, the report showed. Registered weddings
totaled 25,700 in October, down 1,800 or 6.5 percent from a year earlier. During
the first 10 months of this year, cumulative weddings numbered 264,000, down 2.9
percent from a year earlier.
Divorces also fell sharply, according to the report. A total of 9,600 divorce
cases were filed in October, down 1,800 or 15.8 percent from the same period in
2007. In the months leading to October, 97,000 couples had filed for divorce,
down 6.6 percent from a year earlier.
kokobj@yna.co.kr
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