A photo zone, designed to look like an egg carton, uses the metaphor of eggs to represent egg freezing at a pop-up center operated by an infertility clinic in Seongsu-dong, eastern Seoul, Aug. 23. Courtesy of Maria Fertility Hospital

Dozens of people lined up outside a two-story building in Seongsu-dong, Seoul, on Aug. 23, despite the scorching heat.

The building, marked by a pink sign reading "Storage Now," housed a pop-up center operated by a local infertility clinic to promote egg freezing.

Contrary to the common belief that egg freezing is a last resort for women facing severe medical conditions or those in their late 30s and 40s struggling with infertility, most of the visitors were women in their 20s and early 30s, many of whom were either not yet married or newlywed.

Kim Ye-ji, a 21-year-old university student, visited the pop-up center to explore the possibility of freezing her eggs while she is still young.

"I want to get married and have kids one day, but I think the ideal time for that is in my late 20s or early 30s, which is exactly when I would likely be focused on my career," she said.

"I would definitely consider egg freezing as an option in the future, as it could address my concerns about having children later in life," Kim said.

Amidst this growing interest, the pop-up center, which operated from Aug. 8 to 25 with the goal of offering information about egg freezing in a more accessible manner, attracted approximately 14,000 visitors, according to Maria Fertility Hospital.

Lee Jae-eun, a chief specialist at the hospital, said egg freezing could help address Korea's low birthrate by offering a solution for women who wish to have children but are concerned about the difficulties of giving birth at an older age.

People line up in front of a photo zone at a pop-up center promoting egg freezing in Seongsu-dong, Seoul, Aug. 23. Korea Times photo by Jung Da-hyun

With Korea's birthrate plummeting to a record low of 0.7 in 2023 — the lowest in the world — the country faces a dire demographic crisis. This decline is partly attributed to the increasing difficulty of conceiving, especially as couples delay marriage and parenthood.

"When the pregnancy rate is 100 percent for women aged 20 to 24, it falls to less than half for those aged 40 to 44, while the miscarriage rate increases from 20 percent to 40 percent," Lee explained.

But she pointed out that many people still seek infertility treatments, even in the face of such a daunting statistic.

"Despite Korea's record-low fertility rate of 0.72, there are many people who still visit infertility clinics with the desire to have children," she said.

According to Statistics Korea, the average age of first marriage in 2022 was 34 for men and 31.5 for women, resulting in a relatively high average age of 32.8 for women having their first child. This trend has contributed to Korea's ranking as the OECD country with the highest average age for first-time mothers in 2023.

Lee noted that rising concerns about giving birth at an older age are driving increased interest in egg freezing.

"I believe egg freezing can help more people prepare for having children, easing the concerns of those who marry and choose to start a family later in life," she said.

The number of frozen eggs stored in medical institutions across the country surged from 44,122 in 2020 to 105,523 in 2023, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare data.

The cost of egg retrieval is approximately 3 million won, with annual storage fees ranging from 200,000 to 300,000 won.

Visitors to a pop-up center run by an infertility clinic receive information about egg freezing and consultation services through informational pamphlets in Seoungsu-dong, eastern Seoul, Aug. 23. Korea Times photo by Jung Da-hyun

The pop-up center aimed to provide engaging programs about the egg freezing process and the hospital's role, while also encouraging young women to view the procedure as a viable option.

Additionally, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends, qualified doctors were available for consultations, providing assessments of egg health and detailed information about the egg freezing process.

The pop-up center, designed to be informative yet approachable, aimed to demystify the process of egg freezing. For some visitors, like Shim Hyun-seop, an office worker in his 40s, the experience was surprisingly enlightening.

"Egg freezing can be a serious and challenging topic, but I was surprised how naturally I could learn about it through this pop-up center," said Shim, who visited the venue with his colleagues.

Other visitors also saw it as an opportunity to seriously consider egg freezing while balancing their career aspirations with the desire for a family.

"I was torn between delaying having children and the concern about giving birth at an older age," said Ryu Ah-hyeon, a 23-year-old university student, expressing her apprehension about future childbirth.

"This event has prompted me to seek more information about egg freezing through consultations and consider it as a potential option for the future," she added.