South Koreans rejoiced Wednesday at news that the number of births had risen for the first time in about a decade -- a rare bright spot for a country facing a deepening demographic decline.

South Korea's birthrate, the lowest in the world, rose in 2024 for the first time in nine years, as more couples tied the knot after pandemic delays, and as policy efforts to incentivise companies and Koreans to embrace parenthood start to pay off.

South Korea's record-low birth rate rose in 2024, the country's statistics agency reported on Wednesday, marking the first increase in nine years in a slight respite from a looming demographic crisis.