Abstract

The total population of Korea in 1975 was 35,281,000 and population density was 357/km2, which is one of the highest rate of the countries in the world. In the early part of 1960's, prior to the initiation of national family planning program in 1962, the natural population increase rate in Korea was almost 3.0%. However, due to the positive support and activity of the national family program, the population growth rate has been dropped right below 2.0% in 1970, and decreased to 1.7% in 1975. The average number of children per woman was 5.8 in 1961 and has decreased steadily to 3.5 in 1975. However, traditional value like the "boy-preference" concept may bring many difficulties of lowering the fertility rate, decreasing number of children less than three in the future. Rising marriage age which had much contributed to decrease the population growth showed preferably falling trends since 1970. There is a prospect that total number of birth will be continuously increased while the fertility rate may be fallen since the age group born during " baby-boom" soon after the Korean war ate becoming the reproductive age group at present time. Considering the above mentioned factors, family planning program should be much improved and strengthened and the government support is much required in order ti meet the above mentioned objectives which maintain appropriate level of the population growth.