Number of S. Korea's newborns plunges in November

SEOUL, Jan. 28 (Yonhap) -- The number of babies born in South Korea plunged in
November from a year earlier despite the government's efforts to encourage
childbirth, a government report showed Wednesday.

According to the report by the National Statistical Office, the number of
newborns totaled 36,800 in November, down 11.8 percent or 4,900 from a year
earlier. In the first 11 months of last year, 434,800 babies were born, down 5.5
percent from a year before.
The decline is attributed to a relatively sharp increase in the number of births
in 2007, as many people believed that babies born during the year would enjoy
prosperity.
The number of marriages also dropped as people delayed weddings amid the
deepening economic downturn, according to the report. A total of 27,000 couples
tied the knot in November, down 19.6 percent or 6,600 from a year earlier. During
the months to November, cumulative weddings declined 4.8 percent to 291,000 over
the same period.
Meanwhile, 9,200 couples filed for divorce in November, down 16.4 percent from a
year ago. In the January-November period, 106,200 divorce cases had been filed,
down 7.6 percent from a year earlier.
kokobj@yna.co.kr
(END)

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