Korean Churches Pray to Overcome Low Birthrate; Rev. Young Hoon Lee Envisions a “Three-Child Initiative”

[Financial News] Korean churches stressed the need to encourage childbirth and provide community care to address the low birthrate. Rev. Young Hoon Lee, senior pastor of Yoido Full Gospel Church, said he planned to pursue a “three-child initiative” next year.
According to Yoido Full Gospel Church on the 5th, the “Hope Prayer Meeting for the Next Generation” of the National Movement to Overcome Low Birthrate was held the previous morning at the church’s Main Sanctuary in Yeongdeungpo District, Seoul. Participants prayed for respect for life and the passing on of faith to the next generation, and agreed that the community should share the burdens of childbirth and child-rearing.■ Encouraging Childbirth and the Growth of the Next GenerationRev. Lee, chairman of the National Movement Headquarters for Low Birthrate Countermeasures (NMLBC), cited the passage “Be fruitful and multiply” from Genesis 1:28 in his message of hope for the next generation. He said, “To overcome the crises of low birthrates and a population cliff, Korean society must restore the preciousness of life and the value of family.”
He added, “Yoido Full Gospel Church is taking the lead in encouraging childbirth, and next year we also plan to pursue a three-child initiative.”
Addressing churches and believers nationwide, he said, “I hope the day will come when our country’s total fertility rate exceeds 2.0, with everyone actively joining the campaign to encourage childbirth.” He also blessed children to grow into talented people who serve Korea and the world.
Gam Gyeong-cheol, head of the NMLBC, also delivered a message on overcoming the low birthrate. Kim Jin-oh, vice chair of the Population Strategy Committee, encouraged childbirth and child-rearing with the message, “Blessings for children, respect for caregiving.”
The total fertility rate is the average number of children a woman is expected to have during her childbearing years. According to the Ministry of Data and Statistics’ “2025 Birth Statistics,” the total fertility rate last year was 0.80, up 0.05 from the previous year. The number of births rose 6.7% to 254,341.
■ Restoring Family Values and Community CareRev. Lee Ki-yong, president of the General Assembly of the Korea Evangelical Holiness Church, who delivered the sermon, emphasized the value of children and family under the theme “An Inheritance from God,” drawing on Psalms 127:3–5.
Rev. Lee said, “God is concerned with every aspect of human life, but considers the work of establishing families particularly important.”
He added, “Only when families stand firm can society and the nation stand firm as well,” and stressed, “We must restore the biblical teaching that children are an inheritance from God and the fruit of the womb is God’s reward.”
He also said that the unique value of each child should be recognized and that education and care should be tailored to each child’s individual characteristics. He noted that the government’s policies and budgets to address the low birthrate should be implemented in ways that help families who genuinely want to have and raise children.
The service was led by Pastor Shin Pyeong-sik. Jang Heon-il, president of the Korea Institute for Public Policy Development and Research, offered the invocation, while Jeong Myeong-gi, executive director of Happy Birth, Secure Future, read the Bible.
A special prayer was also offered, led by Pastor Lee Yong-yun of the CTS Cultural Foundation. Prayers were said for resolving the low-birthrate problem, passing on faith to the next generation, and ensuring that national leaders respond responsibly to population issues.
Participants expressed their hope for a society in which the community shares the burdens of childbirth and child-rearing rather than leaving them solely to individuals and families. Yoido Full Gospel Church plans to continue its efforts to renew the next generation and spread a healthy family culture.

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