"This Country Has Completely Lost Its Way... The Country Is on the Brink of Collapse": Rapper Criticizes Childbirth Policies

"We should be treating people who have children as heroes, and even that wouldn't be enough"
"Raising children is parents' responsibility" vs. "A realistic opinion": Reactions divided

Rapper Nucksal, a father of two, expressed disappointment with the government’s childbirth and childcare support policies. After his remarks were released, online reactions were divided: some said they were realistic comments that took the burden of raising children into account, while others criticized him for demanding too much from the state regarding responsibility for childbirth.

On October 16, a video was released on the YouTube channel “Annyeonghan Saemyo” featuring Nucksal and Urban Zakapa members Jo Hyun-ah and Kwon Soon-il discussing marriage, childbirth and child-rearing.

During the conversation, Jo Hyun-ah asked for their thoughts on people who ask married couples why they got married if they were not going to have children. Nucksal called it “a rude question” and pointed out that “these remarks often come from older generations with a generational gap.”

Rapper Nucksal expressed disappointment with the government’s childbirth and childcare support policies. Screenshot from the YouTube channel “Annyeonghan Saemyo”

The conversation turned to the government’s childbirth support policies. Jo Hyun-ah mentioned that subsidies had increased recently as the birth rate fell. Nucksal explained that the support programs had changed while he was raising his first and second children, and expressed his dissatisfaction with government policy by referring to benefits provided to families with multiple children.

“To be honest, this country has completely lost its way,” Nucksal said. “The country is on the brink of collapse, so how does it make sense that these are the only benefits available?” He added, “We should be treating people who have children like heroes, and even that wouldn’t be enough,” arguing that support for childbirth and child-rearing should be expanded. “Having a child isn’t an entitlement, but I think we should do more to encourage and promote it,” he added.

“For people like us who are financially secure, having children may be a choice, but some people are not in that kind of situation,” Nucksal said. “We need policies that support parents so they can raise their children in stable conditions, whatever the circumstances of a child’s birth. The current subsidies are not enough.” In particular, he criticized the fact that support is concentrated in the first year after childbirth.

Jo Hyun-ah also said that support after childbirth was important. “Right now, they provide only the bare essentials,” she said, adding that parents need support they can actually feel in their daily lives, beyond help with basic expenses.

Rapper Nucksal expressed disappointment with the government's childbirth and childcare support policies. Screenshot from the YouTube channel "Annyeonghan Saemyo"

Online reactions to Nucksal’s remarks were divided. Those critical of his position argued that parents who chose to have children should take responsibility for raising them, saying, “They had children because they wanted to, so what is he talking about?” and “Isn’t this a policy to encourage childbirth, not to reward people for having children?” Some also argued that the expansion of benefits should be approached cautiously, since they are funded by taxpayers.

Others said that, given the severity of the low birth rate problem, support for child-rearing should be increased. They agreed with Nucksal, saying, “The government should provide practical support when families face the heavy burden of childcare and education costs.” Some also said his remarks should be seen as representing the child-rearing burdens of ordinary families, rather than his personal interests as a wealthy celebrity.

Meanwhile, Nucksal married a non-celebrity in September 2022, and they have two children.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.