More Pregnant Women In South Korea Feel Pressured To Practice Tae-Gyo As Birth Rates Decline And Educational Competition Increases

In South Korea, interest in the intensive motherhood practice called tae-gyo is increasing among pregnant women in order to develop more competent children in an over competitive society.

Korea Herald noted on March 16 tae-gyo is a 600-year-old practice in South Korea in which every day routines done by expecting mothers are aimed at raising a skilled and healthy child. These practices include hearing and seeing only pleasant thing and engaging in productive and educational activities.

People in South Korea believe that the baby's future and personality is dependent on the pregnant woman's state of mind and continued education efforts.

"Nine months of prenatal education is more valuable than nine years of post-natal learning," quoted a reporter from a South Korean figure.

Pacific Standard reported in their article on Wednesday increasing interest in tae-gyo may be observed in pregnant women these days as South Korea's birth rate declines and society remains very competitive in the educational environment. With these factors in mind, parents invest at nurturing their child to grow up capable of surviving such competitiveness.

Tae-gyo has expanded over the years where listening to classical music was the most common form of the practice. Today, pregnant women also engage in knitting, sewing, floral arrangements, yoga and calligraphy. Some even study Math and English for their unborn child to give them a head start in those fields.

A program is even offered to pregnant women where they are allowed to experience century-old tae-gyo methods practiced by historical Korean queens called "Royal Tae-gyo."

"Participants will bind a tae-gyo diary in silk and sew traditional 'jeogori' costumes for their babies," said the organizer of the program and official of the National Palace Museum of Korea. "Sewing enhances dexterity, which is said to boost the fetus' brain development."

Clearly, intensive parenthood in South Korea begins even before a child is born.