South Korea’s Ministry of Health and Welfare has awarded civilian service medals to two women who each gave birth to 13 children, in light of the country’s ongoing struggle with a declining birth rate.
Eom Gye-suk, 60, was honored with the Seongnyu Medal, the fifth grade of the Order of Civil Merit, recognizing outstanding contributions across various fields, including politics, economics, and education. Meanwhile, Lee Yeong-mi, 59, was awarded the Civil Merit Medal for her dedication to public service.
Ms. Eom, who had five sons and eight daughters between 1986 and 2007, reflected on her experience, saying, “After over 20 years of repeated pregnancies and childbirth, there were challenges, but thanks to my children, I feel I have had more moments of happiness than others.” She made these remarks during the awards ceremony at the Glad Hotel in Seoul on October 10.
Ms. Lee, who had her first child at 23 and her last at 44, noted that while there are now more policies supporting childbirth and child-re