South Korea in February 2026: the most important developments in society
In February 2026, South Korea reported a second year of rising births. The fertility rate rose to 0.80, and the number of births was the highest in 15 years, though the country's rate remains among the lowest in the world. Separately, dozens of universities may not survive the next decade as the population shrinks.
Wildfires broke out several times. A fire in Gyeongju was put out on 9 February after it had reignited. On 23 February a level 1 response was activated for a fire in Miryang, where containment stood at 51% on its second day, and the main blaze there was out after 20 hours. The main blazes of a fire in Hamyang were contained after 44 hours.
African swine fever continued to spread. The sixth case of the year was confirmed on 4 February, and by 13 February the total for 2026 had reached 14. South Gyeongsang stepped up quarantine measures after a new outbreak.
On immigration, naturalizations exceeded 11,000 in 2025, the highest since the pandemic, and the country simplified visa requirements for Filipinos. Officials also discussed hiring foreign students in nonprofessional fields. On 13 February the government revived a plan to add medical students, which doctors criticized.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
Click a day in the chart above for that day's brief.