Dynamics of the Korean population since 1960 and its relationship with the demographic transition

South Korea′s demographic transition process, where high mortality rates-remained after the Korean War- dropped significantly followed by a reduction of fertility rates, shaped the dynamics and distribution of its population, which first experimented an expansion and later an aging process. This paper aims to describe the main changes in Korean population dynamics since the 1960′s (decade where high scale planned parenthood programs where implemented as part of the five year plans for economic development) by identifying two main characteristics of the demographic transition process: changes in the distribution of the population and population aging