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When male partners work more, women’s economic activity will be discouraged and their responsibility of childcare will only increase, Lee said.The country already has the lowest fertility rate in the world, and a rapidly ageing population. The working-age population peaked at 38 million in 2019 and is set to drop by more than 9 million by 2040, government data show.Lee Yoon-sun, a 29-year-old office worker, said working high-intensity hours and then taking time off would be disruptive.Working long hours when you have a heavy workload and then resting when you are less busy seems like a pattern that will lead to an irregular life, affecting having children and taking care of them.