South Korean soldiers salute at a memorial ceremony at Taesungdong, near the truce village of Panmunjom in the demilitarised zone separating the two Koreas, July 26, 2006. South Korea needs soldiers and is calling on its troops to make them by turning out more babies. South Korea's military last week unveiled a new policies aimed at making it easier for military couples to have and raise children. The country has the lowest fertility rate among developed nations with an average of 1.08 children per woman. The birth rate among military couples is 0.83, officials said. "The low birth rate can seriously affect our economy, politics and even national security," said Lieutenant Hong Kyung-moon, an army personnel officer. The army will try to keep newlyweds together by allowing them to stay in the same posting for five years so that they can start and raise a family, Hong said by telephone. If a military family has a third child, the soldier can select a geographic area in the country to their liking for their posting. These policies and others went into effect on Aug 1. "We improved the system and believe it will bring an increase in the birth rate," Hong said. (Agencies)

韓國政府號召軍隊士兵多生孩子，以解決韓國軍人緊缺的問題。 上周，韓國軍方出臺了一項新政策，旨在促使軍人夫婦們多生孩子，撫養好孩子。 韓國的人口出生率在發達國家中是最低的，平均每個婦女只有1.08個孩子。據官方介紹，軍人夫婦的生育率只有0.83。 韓國軍隊負責人事的韓金滿軍官說：“出生率低會嚴重影響韓國的經濟、政治、甚至國家安全。” 據韓軍官在電話采訪中介紹，韓國軍隊將設法讓新婚夫婦呆在一起，允許他們在同一部隊工作五年，這樣他們便可以組建起一個家庭。 如果一個軍人家庭有了第三個孩子，這名軍人便可以按照自己的愿望選擇國內任何地方的部隊就職。這一系列政策及其他相關規定從8月1日起開始實施。 韓軍官說：“我們對制度進行了完善，相信這會促進韓國人口出生率的增長。” (英語點津姍姍編輯)