[Area differentials of sex imbalance in births]

Along with a rapid decline in fertility to below replacement levels in South Korea, a new demographic phenomenon has emerged: a distorted sex ratio at birth. In 1993, the sex ratio was 115.6, with significant differences in this ratio by region. "An analysis of national survey data showed that in the areas with the most distorted imbalance, people not only have a stronger preference for sons and more favoring attitude toward sex-selective induced abortion, but also actually have more sex-selective induced abortions after checking the sex of the fetus. This analysis proved that the sex imbalance is being caused by means of sex-selective induced abortions after checking the sex of the fetus." (SUMMARY IN ENG)