Asia News Wrap: South Korean birth rate set to rise, and more

Here are a few stories from around Asia you may have missed this week.

After nine years, South Korean birth rate rises in 2024 

South Korea's birth rate is set to show a rise in 2024 for the first time in nine years, according to government data released on Wednesday.

The country has regularly recorded the world's lowest fertility rates, but the number of newborns between January 2024 and November 2024 rose 3 percent from a year earlier to 220,094. In 2023, newborns fell by 7.7 percent, extending declines to an eighth consecutive year and resulting in an annual fertility rate of 0.72, the lowest globally. The increase comes as the number of marriages rose in 2023, the first uptick in 12 years, after couples postponed weddings during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Shenzhou-19 crew conduct 2nd spacewalk

Members of the Shenzhou-19 crew aboard China's space station completed a second extravehicular activity (spacewalk) at 1:12 a.m. on Tuesday, according to the China Manned Space Agency. 

Astronauts Cai Xuzhe, Song Lingdong and Wang Haoze worked for 8.5 hours to complete multiple tasks, including the installation of space debris protection devices and an extravehicular inspection.

Indonesian volcano erupts over 1,000 times in January

According to an official report released on Sunday, a volcano in eastern Indonesia has erupted at least 1,000 times in January. Efforts were underway to evacuate thousands of villagers living near the mountain. Mount Ibu, on the remote island of Halmahera in North Maluku province, sent a column of smoke up to four kilometers into the sky in an eruption on January 15. 

Indonesian officials raised the alert status to the highest level and called for the evacuation of 3,000 people living in six nearby villages. It was one of 1,079 eruptions by the volcano recorded since January 1 by Indonesia's Geological Agency, sending columns of ash reaching between 300 meters and four kilometers above its peak, according to the agency's data.

Nepal hikes Mount Qomolangma permit fees by 36%

Nepal will increase the permit fees for climbing Mount Qomolangma, also known as Mount Everest, by 36 percent, making the world's tallest peak more expensive for mountaineers for the first time in nearly a decade, officials said on Wednesday. 

Income from permit fees and other spending by foreign climbers is a key source of revenue for the nation. A permit to climb the 8,849-meter-high Mount Qomolangma will cost $15,000, said Narayan Prasad Regmi, director general of the Department of Tourism, a 36 percent rise on the $11,000 fee that had been in place for nearly a decade.

Singapore to introduce screen use guidelines for children

Singapore will issue guidelines for screen use among children, which will be introduced in schools, including preschools, as part of a new national strategy launched on Tuesday to address children's health. The national health promotion strategy seeks to improve preventive care and inculcate healthier lifestyles in children and adolescents, according to a joint release issued by the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Social and Family Development. 

As part of the strategy, the Early Childhood Development Agency will update its code of practice for preschools from February 1 to mandate no screen use for infants up to 18 months. Under the revised code of practice, screens can only be used for teaching and learning purposes for children aged 18 months to six years.

(Cover: Children in Daegu, South Korea, learning the New Year greeting etiquette in a kindergarten, January 22, 2025. /CFP)