An overview of national family planning program.

This paper provides an overview of the Republic of Koreas National Family Planning Program as well as an account of program achievements and fertility changes. The first section of the report discusses the history of population concern and policy development. By 1960 Koreas population was growing at about 3% a year -- a rate which the population would have doubled in 23 years. But that same year a military coup overthrew the regime of Syngman Rhee who had opposed any population control efforts. In 1962 the new government launched a national family planning program as part of a 5-Year Economic Development Plan. Section II describes the implementation of the national family planning program which falls under the supervision of the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs (MOHSA). This section discusses program organization contraceptive distribution social support policy measures population education training programs research and evaluation and program budgets. Section III reviews program achievements and changes in contraceptive use while section IV considers changes in fertility and population prospects. Since its inception the national program has provided contraceptive services to nearly 18 million people. Contraceptive prevalence currently stands at 77.1%. With the rise in contraceptive prevalence the total fertility rate declined from 6.0 in 1960 to 1.6 (below replacement level) in 1987. The dependency ratio fell from 82.6% in 1960 to 4.5% in 1990. Discussing future policy directions section V suggests that population policy should shift away from its current quantitative focus rapid fertility reduction to a qualitative family welfare approach stressing child spacing child/family development and care for the elderly.