Here are immigration figures for South Korea:
“In 2021, Korea received 54 000 new immigrants on a long-term or permanent basis (including changes of status), -6.1% compared to 2020. This figure comprises 8.8% labour migrants, 28.9% family members (including accompanying family) and 0.2% humanitarian migrants. Around 39 000 permits were issued to tertiary-level international students and 59 000 to temporary and seasonal labour migrants.
China, Viet Nam and the United States were the top three nationalities of newcomers in 2021. Among the top 15 countries of origin, Uzbekistan registered the strongest increase (+5 100) and Viet Nam the largest decrease (-10 000) in flows to Korea compared to the previous year.
In 2022, the number of first asylum applicants increased by 400%, to reach around 12 000. The majority of applicants came from Kazakhstan (2 500), India (1 300) and Türkiye (1 200). The largest increase since 2021 concerned nationals of Kazakhstan (+2 400). Of the 11 000 decisions taken in 2022, 1% were positive.
Emigration of Korean citizens to OECD countries decreased by -11% in 2021, to 37 000. Approximately 33% of this group migrated to the United States, 22% to Canada and 8% to Germany.”
More here:
Sad tales of why no babies:
https://www.npr.org/2023/03/19/1163341684/south-korea-fertility-rate
Of course in an agrarian society, children are valuable economic assets, whereas in Ukraine industrialized societies they are economic liabilities (and even moreso with “women’s rights”). We transitioned more gradually from agrarian to industriqlzed, and then did the “women’s rights” thing. When industrialization is so rapid and “women’s rights” are concurrent with that, well, you get a precipitous drop in fertility rates.
So, people moving rapidly from farm to city (and the much higher city rents that go along with that), plus women in the workforce, plus posts Sexual Revolution dynamics and values (marriage and children culturally devalued), you have a sort of perfect storm for a dearth of babies.
Good thinking on the robotics. Yes, robotics can probably help, and South Korea should be good at that. The Japanese have long used that to help out with their dire rapid population decline (robots dispensing meds in nursing homes for the elderly, etc.). The Chinese are using AI + robotics as a sort of “workforce multiplier” and it’s quite impressive. This would increase GDP and perhaps help generate tax revenue to help out with caring for elderly, but still there will be problems in countries like South Korea where the decline was so severe and swift.
On the more human side, one of the saddest things I’ve seen was a documentary about population decline in Japan, the scene where they showed lonely old ladies in nursing homes playing with robotic babies, as they had no real live grandchildren to play with. It broke my heart to see that.
As one with some experience in Korea (1960s) and from that I gained a great love for the people there, I wish them only the best, always.
Though many things there seemed kind of “undeveloped” at that time, I also sensed a drive and energy among the people, such that I knew they were building for future great success.