[News Today] MORE MARRIAGES, MORE NEWBORNS

[LEAD]
Births and marriage rates have surged, with newborns topping 20,000 in July for the first time in six months. July's marriage rate recorded its highest increase, signaling a potential rise in births.

[REPORT]
This wedding venue holds six weddings a day. Even for the month of September next year, most of the days are booked.

Cho Yun-jung / Hotel PR manager
We're at pre-COVID 19 levels. We have availabilities only for the less popular summer and winter seasons next year.

The number of marriages has been on the rise since April. In July, their number surged by 32.9 percent on-year, posting the highest increase on record for the month of July.

Lim Young-il/ Statistics Korea
People in their early 30s who postponed their weddings are now tying the knot. Marriage subsidies offered by local govts could have contributed as well.

More marriages are also closely linked with more newborns.

In July, 20,601 babies were born, surpassing the 20-thousand mark for the first time in six months and rising 7.9% from the corresponding period a year ago. It was also the largest increase for the month of July in 17 years.

The trend is largely ascribed to the increase in weddings between the second half of 2022 and the first half of last year.

Lee Sang-lim / Population Policy Research Center, Seoul Nat'l Univ.
An increase in marriages means more couples can have children and subsequently it's plausible that we'll see more newborns.

However, this year's accrued number of newborns as of July stood at around 137,900, down 1.2% from last year.