South Korea is projected to face a sharp demographic shift in the coming decades, with a declining birth rate and aging population leading to increased social burdens on the working-age population.

In six years, it is projected that two working-age adults in South Korea will need to support one elderly person or child. By 2058, just 34 years from now, the forecast suggests that one working-age adult will have to support one dependent, either an elderly person or a child. This projection stems from the country’s rapidly declining birth rate and aging population, which are expected to lead to a surge in social costs.