North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has stirred emotions as he addressed a recent event, shedding tears while urging efforts to address the countrys declining birth rates. In a video that has gone viral on social media, Kim appeared visibly emotional, wiping away tears during his call for a collective initiative to boost childbirth in North Korea .Kim Jong Un CRIES while telling North Korean women to have more babies.The dictator shed tears while speaking at the National Mothers Meeting as he urged women to boost the countries birth rate. pic.twitter.com/J354CyVnln— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) December 5, 2023What really happenedThe event, held for mothers in Pyongyang on Sunday, saw Kim emphasise the importance of preventing a decline in birth rates and promoting effective childcare. Quoted by Reuters, he stated, Preventing a decline in birth rates and good childcare are all of our housekeeping duties we need to handle while working with mothers.Expressing gratitude towards mothers, Kim acknowledged their role in strengthening national power. I too always think about mothers when I have a hard time dealing with the party and the states work, he added.North Koreas Fertility in the FallAs of 2023, the United Nations Population Fund estimates North Koreas fertility rate at 1.8, representing the average number of children born to a woman. This rate reflects a prolonged decrease over recent decades, yet it remains higher than in some neighbouring countries grappling with similar trends. South Korea, for instance, reported a record-low fertility rate of 0.78 last year, contributing to a shortage of paediatricians and prompting innovative solutions like matchmaking events to encourage higher birth rates. Japan also faced a decline, with its fertility rate dropping to 1.26.More on the populationNorth Korea, with a population of approximately 25 million, has confronted challenges beyond declining birth rates, including serious food shortages exacerbated by natural disasters such as floods, as witnessed in the deadly famine of the 1990s. Kim Jong Uns emotional plea reflects the gravity of the situation and underscores the leaderships concern for the nations demographic future.
