[Graphic News] Newborns estimated at 360,000 this year

The number of newborns in South Korea is expected to be around 360,000 for 2017, marking a record low, according to the Health Ministry and National Statistical Office.

The figure is 12.4 percent lower than the previous year. The last time it increased was in November 2015, data showed. Experts said the number will further decrease down the road.

The country’s average number of newborns hovered at around 1 million in the 1970s, but quickly fell to reach 490,000 in 2002.