https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2024/06/281_377161.html
Yoon's low birthrate policies unwelcomed by citizens
The Yoon Suk Yeol administration's recently announced set of countermeasures against the plummeting birthrate is facing cynical and skeptical responses from citizens. They said the plans, which include expansion of maternity and paternity leaves and afters
www.koreatimes.co.kr
'Government seems to be telling parents to work more instead of raising children'
low birthrate policies 저출산 정책
unwelcome = unwanted = uninvited = unasked = unbidden = unrequested = undesirable = undesired 원치않는, 원하지 않는, 환영받지 않는, 요청하지 않은
raise children = foster children = rear children = bring up children 아이들을 키우다, 자식을 키우다
instead of = in lieu of = in place of ~대신에
The Yoon Suk Yeol administration's recently announced set of countermeasures against the plummeting birthrate is facing cynical and skeptical responses from citizens. They said the plans, which include expansion of maternity and paternity leaves and afterschool child care programs, are only fragmentary solutions that cannot fundamentally solve the underlying cause of the demographic crisis.
set of countermeasures 일련의 대책, 대책 패키지
plummeting = decreasing = declining = dropping = plunging = nosediving = diving = falling sharply = going down = collapsing = melting down= tumbling down 추락하다, 급강하다, 떨어지다, 감소하다
cynical = skeptical = incredulous = doubtful = dubious = distrustful = suspicious = disbelieving 회의적인, 냉소적인, 불신하는, 의심하는
maternity leave 출산휴가, 산후휴가
paternity leave (남편) 출산 휴가
afterschool child care programs 방과후 보육프로그램
child care = day care 탁아, 보육
child rearing = child support = upbringing = breeding = fostering 자녀 양육
upkeep = maintenance 양육비, 유지비
fragmentary solution = superficial solution = provisional solution = perfunctory solultion = cursory solution = crude solution 단편적인 해결책
fundamentally solve 근본적으로 해결하다
underlying cause = hidden cause = root cause 숨은 원인, 근본 원인, 기저에 깔린 원인, 근본적인 원인
demographic crisis 인구통계적 위기
Critics cited chronic problems of long working hours and high living costs in the country as the key causes of the problem, calling on policymakers to have a clearer perspective and come up with more substantial and effective countermeasures for the long term.
chronic problem 만성적인 문제
long working hours 긴 근무 시간
living cost = cost of living = living expenses 생활비
call on = call for = ask for = request = demand = urge = exhort = admonish 요청하다, 요구하다
policymaker = legislator = parliamentarian = lawgiver = lawmaker = politician 정책입안자, 국회의원, 입법자
come up with = devise = think of = conjure up = think up = draw up = conceive = dream up = create = generate 생각해내다, 떠올리다, 고안하다, 창안하다
substantial = essential = considerable = effective = feasible = workable = viable 실질적인, 본질적인
A woman surnamed Jeon, an office worker living in Seoul’s Dongjak District and a mother of a 2-year-old boy, said child-rearing has been a challenge, as it is physically impossible for a dual-income couple to spend time with their kid in Korea. She and her husband have a maximum of an hour or two to spend together with their son during weekdays after work, which makes it impossible to have an emotional connection with him.
child rearing = child support = upbringing = breeding = fostering 자녀 양육
dual-income couple 맞벌이 부부
spend time with ~와 시간을 보내다
a maximum of = at the most = at the very most = at the highest estimate 최대로, 기껏해야, 최대로 잡아서
during weekdays 평일에
during weekends 주말에
emotional connection 정서적 연결
emotional intelligence 정서 지능, 감성 지능
“It is unimaginable to have a second child in this country,” she said. “It’s even questionable whether the expansion of afterschool child care programs is a low birthrate policy, because the government seems to be telling parents to work more instead of raising their children. The fundamental solution is to shorten working hours, but the government seems to prefer opening more child care facilities while the working hours remain long.”
unimaginable = unthinkable = inconceivable = incredible = unbelievable 상상할 수 없는, 생각할 수 없는, 고려할 수 없는
questionable = doubtful = suspicious = dubious = untrustworthy = incredulous = skeptical = distrustful = contentious = in doubt = open to doubt = controvertial 의심스러운, 의문스러운, 미심쩍은
afterschool child care programs 방과후 보육프로그램
low birthrate policy 저출산 정책
raise children = foster children = rear children = bring up children 아이들을 키우다, 자식을 키우다
child care facilities 보육 시설
working hour = work-hour 노동 시간
Korea has the world’s lowest total fertility rate at 0.65, which means the average number of children a woman will have in her lifetime is well below the replacement rate. Seoul’s birthrate has sunk to 0.55. If this trend continues, the nation’s population is projected to halve by 2100.
fertility rate = childbirth rate = birth rate 출산율, 출생율
the average number of ~의 평균 수
in one's lifetime 살아 생전에, 일생 동안
replacement rate 갱신율, 도태율, 대체율, 교체율
sink to ~로 가라앉다
sink - sunk - sunk
be projected to = be expected to = be goin to = be estimated to = be conjectured to ~로 전망이 되다, ~로 예상이 되다
halve = cut in half = divide int two = split in two = sever in two = divide into two equal parts = reduce by fifty percent = decrease by fifty percent = lessen by fifty percent 반으로 줄어 들다, 이등분 하다, 양분하다
Regarding this, the government declared a "national demographic emergency" on Wednesday, announcing the countermeasures, which also included easing standards for income from special loans for households with newborns. President Yoon said at the time that the country will “operate a pan-national task force to overcome the low birthrate issues,” speaking of the ancient Spartan empire which he said went extinct after a demographic crisis.
declare = pronounce = announce = proclaim = state = inform = impart = swear = promise = make a oath = make a vow 선언하다, 발표하다, 맹세하다
ease = relieve = slash = cut = alleviate = reduce = dial down = deplete = lessen = cut down = downsize 완화하다, 줄이다
pan-national 범국민적
speaking of ~에 관해 말한다면, ~을 증명하다, ~의 이야기라면
go extinct = become extinct = die out = vanish 멸종되다, 사라지다, 없어지다
However, many view that the announcement was nothing new and only a repetition of existing policies. Another Seoul-based office worker surnamed Lee, 32, said, “Not many young women in their 20s and 30s want to get married and have children” out of concerns over the high cost of living and career interruption.
nothing new 전혀 새롭지 않은, 진부한 것
a repetition of = a reiteration of ~의 반복, ~의 되풀이
existing = present = living = extant = existent = in existence = in place 현존하는, 잔존하는, 실존하는, 가동중인
get married = tie the knot = get hitched = be married = marry = wed 결혼하다
have children = conceive = be pregnant = get pregnant = expect a baby 임신하다, 아기를 갖다, 임신중이다
out of concerns 염려에서, 우려하여
career interruption 경력 단절
“No matter how hard we work, we will never make enough to afford to own a home. It’s completely unreasonable to spend all that money to get married and have a child then have my career ruined, but the government doesn’t seem to care about that,” she said.
no matter how = however = whatever 어떻게 하더라도, 아무리 ~라 한들
own a house 주택을 소유하다
afford 여유가 되다, 형편이 되다
cannot afford to ~할 여유가 없다
completely = utterly = certainly = totally = absolutely = entirely = wholly = overall = generally 완전히, 전체적으로
unreasonable = outrageous = disagreeable = disapproving = unpleasant = disadvantageous = illogical = rediculous = absurd = ludicrous = over the top = farcical = far-fetched = risible = laughable = farcicle = non-sensical = preposterous = exorbitant 비합리적인, 비논리적인, 우수운, 터무니없는, 허무맹랑한
A 35-year-old Seoul resident surnamed Jeong, who has been married for over two years, also said she does not see herself having a child in Korea in this lifetime as childbirth seems like it will put her into “the start of an endless economic vicious cycle.”
in this lifetime 생전에, 이번생에
put into = enter into = cast into ~에 들어가다, ~에 놓다
endless = indefinite = unrelenting = relentless = incessant = constant = continual = continuing = continuous = everlasting = pereptual = eternal = on end = perennial 끝없는, 지속되는, 계속되는, 반복되는, 영원한
economic vicious cycle 경제적 악순환
virtuous cycle 선순환
“It’s difficult to afford living as a three-person household as a single-income family in Seoul,” she said, explaining that she and her husband chose to keep living a child-free life in the capital where there are better job opportunities, despite expensive housing costs.
three-person household 3인 가구
single-income family 혼자 벌어서 생활하는 가정
double-income couple 맞벌이 부부
child-free life 아이없는 삶
dinkie = dinky 딩크족(자녀가 없고 돈이 많은 맞벌이 부부 중 한 사람을 가리킴)
job opportunities 직업 기회
expensive = costly = high-priced = exorbitant = extravagant = outrageous = unaffordable = overpriced = steep 터무니없이 비싼, 과하게 비싼, 너무 비싼
housing cost 주거비, 주거비용
Others questioned the sincerity of the Yoon government over the issue, as it has been pushing to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. “The government plans to abolish the gender equality ministry and neglects the important roles it plays in family and women’s issues, an online commenter wrote. "It seems ridiculous that the government would attempt to deal with the demographic crisis without it."
question = doubt = suspect = raise doubts = raise questions = be dubious 의구심을 가지다, 의심하다, 미심쩍어하다
sincerity = honesty = trustworthiness 진정성
abolish = repeal = recant = nullify = negate = defease = cancel = withdraw = take back = get rid of = do away with = take away 취소하다, 없애다, 철회하다
gender equality 성평등
online commenter 온라인 코멘터, 온라인 댓글자
deal with = manage = handle = cope with = treat = address = navigate = tackle 해결하다, 처리하다, 다루다
demographic crisis 인구통계학적 위기, 인구 위기
코리아타임스위클리
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