South Korea's demographic crisis offers a stark economic warning. The fertility rate has collapsed from over 6 children per woman during the 1950s to just 0.75 in 2024—a marginal uptick from 0.72 the prior year, but nowhere near the 2.1 replacement threshold needed for population stability. If this trajectory continues unbroken, the nation faces a population implosion, potentially halving within decades. Such demographic shifts reshape labor markets, pension systems, and asset valuations. Countries grappling with aging populations and shrinking workforces face mounting fiscal pressure—a dynamic that ripples across global markets. Understanding these secular trends matters for anyone tracking long-term economic cycles and their impact on institutional capital flows.