Korean Protestant Natalists
- Woman Gives Birth to 12th Child
A church pastor and his wife living in Kumi, North Kyongsang Province, gave birth to their 12th child Sunday, adding another member to their already large family. Rev. Kim Suk-tae, 47, and his wife Um Kye-suk, 42, a couple married for 20 years, will now shepherd the country's largest single family.
Previously, the largest family in the country was believed to be that of Nam Sang-don, 43, and Lee Young-mi, 41, a Seoul couple who had their 12th child in July last year. However, tragedy struck the family when their last child died of respiratory illnesses after three months.
"My wife and I consider every child as a gift of God and we are thankful that our children are all in good health," said Kim, who had to make the family's dinner table by cutting the wood himself, as it was hard to find a table large enough for 14 people.
"Financially, its not easy to sustain a family as large as ours, but happiness within the family clearly outweighs any burdens,'" said Kim, who earns about 800,000 won to 1 million won per month.
Kim and his wife now have seven daughters and five sons. The eldest child, daughter Bit-na, is now 19-years-old.
The story of Kim's family is certainly an unusual tale in a country where policymakers are increasingly concerned over a birthrate that is hitting record lows.
According to a report by the National Statistical Office (NSO) earlier this year, Korea's fertility rate, or the average number of babies born to women aged between 15 and 49, was at 1.08 last year, from the previous low of 1.16 in 2004. Last year's birthrate was the lowest since 1970 when the NSO began taking data.
Korea's birthrate was already the lowest among the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) member countries in 2004. Korea's figure of 1.16 was even lower than that of Japan at 1.29, long famous for its low birthrates. The rate stood at 1.71 in Sweden, 1.73 in Britain, 1.89 in France and 2.04 in the United States.
Redeemed by Our Savior, I work out my salvation with fear and trembling in Pohang, South Korea, where I live with my wife, daughter, and son and teach English at a science and technology university. Baptized a Methodist and raised a Missouri Synod Lutheran in Buffalo, NY, I spent six years as a guest of the Anglican Communion before being received by the Grace of God into the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church on the Feast of Saint Andrew, my patron, anno domini 2002.
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