Number of newborns in S Korea rises in March

SEOUL - The number of babies born in South Korea increased for the second straight month in March amid concerted efforts to boost the country's low birthrate, a report showed Tuesday.

A total of 43,300 babies were born last month, up 0.2 percent, or 100, from the same month a year before, according to the report by Statistics Korea.

South Korea's birthrate turned downward in September 2010 after posting 19 consecutive months of growth. It suffered five straight months of decline starting in October last year, before jumping 6.3 percent on-year in February this year.

The increase in childbirths in March came as South Korea has made a concerted push to bolster childbirth by offering various incentives to couples.

The low birthrate has been treated as a chronic social problem in South Korea as it could hurt the country's growth potential and raise social welfare costs.

The country has one of the world's lowest fertility of 1.2 children per mother, according to a report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).