>> As the population declines, traditional gender roles and careers are leading many to forgo childbirth >> The outcry created this month by Seoul city government’s advice for expectant mothers – including tips on how to cater to their husband’s every need while heavily pregnant – has reignited the debate over why so many South Korean women are choosing not to have children. >> The guidelines, issued by the city’s pregnancy and childbirth information centre, were taken down in response to online fury, but not before they had provided a telling insight into attitudes towards gender roles in South Korea, one of the world’s most advanced economies. >> Women should keep their weight in check, the advice went, by gazing at clothes they wore before they were pregnant. As they reach their due date, they should ensure that their husbands have enough ready meals and changes of clothes to sustain them for the few days they are left to fend for themselves. >> And when they return home with the new addition to the family, they should avoid the postnatal “dishevelled” look by slipping on a hair band.