South Korea has set a new world record. However, it’s not celebrating. The country now has the lowest birth rate in the world – an average of just 0.7 children per woman in 2023, standing alone among major economies in having a fertility rate below one. The crisis is threatening South Korea’s economy and putting its future in jeopardy. If the trend continues, its population will plunge by almost half by the century’s end. FRANCE 24’s Chloé Borgnon, Alexis Bregere, Justin McCurry and Mélodie Sforza report.