Korean Demographic Trends: -을뿐더러, -는 데다가, -는 동시에
Korean stacks cumulative trends with -을뿐더러 (출산율이 낮을뿐더러 고령화까지 심하다 — not only is the birth rate low, but aging is severe too), piles on with -는 데다가 (일이 많은 데다가 사람도 부족하다 — on top of having a lot of work, there's a staff shortage), and links simultaneous developments with -는 동시에 (성장하는 동시에 격차도 커졌다 — it grew while the gap widened at the same time).
Published:
Written by Alvin Lim Certified Korean Language Teacher (Level 2)
Korean describes social trends by stacking and pairing facts: -을뿐더러 adds a second, weightier point in the same direction (출산율이 낮을뿐더러 고령화까지 심하다 — not only is the birth rate low, aging is severe too), -는 데다가 piles one circumstance on another (일이 많은 데다가 사람도 부족하다 — on top of heavy workloads, there’s a staff shortage), and -는 동시에 links two developments that unfold together (성장하는 동시에 격차도 커졌다 — it grew while the gap widened at the same time). These three connectives turn a list of statistics into a single analytical sentence.
This is the language of demographic and social commentary — the kind you read in newspaper trend pieces. You already know how to read the numbers in a graph from grade 4; now you’ll link those numbers into arguments the way an economy-news writer does. Start with the core vocabulary of population change.
Ten words for demographic trends
These nouns and verbs anchor any discussion of population and society.
Not only X, but also Y — -을뿐더러
To add a second fact that weighs in the same direction as the first, attach -을/ㄹ뿐더러 to a verb or adjective stem. It’s the formal, written “not only… but also,” and it stacks two negatives (or two positives) so they reinforce each other.
출산율이 낮을뿐더러 고령화까지 심하다 = not only is the birth rate low, aging is severe too 이 도시는 물가가 비쌀뿐더러 일자리도 적다 = this city is not only pricey, jobs are scarce too 그 정책은 효과가 없을뿐더러 비용도 많이 든다 = the policy is not only ineffective, it’s costly too 그는 성실할뿐더러 능력도 뛰어나다 = he’s not only diligent but also highly capable
Note it attaches to the plain stem: 낮다 → 낮을뿐더러, 비싸다 → 비쌀뿐더러. Reserve it for writing and formal speech — in casual conversation it can sound stiff.
On top of that — -는 데다가
-는 데다가 also means “not only X, but also Y,” but it’s the everyday spoken version: you pile an extra circumstance right on top of the first.
일이 많은 데다가 사람도 부족해요 = on top of heavy work, we’re short-staffed too 비싼 데다가 맛도 없어요 = it’s expensive, and on top of that it tastes bad 비가 오는 데다가 바람까지 불어요 = it’s raining, and on top of that it’s windy too 교통이 불편한 데다가 집세도 비싸요 = transit is inconvenient, and rent is high on top of that
It uses the modifier form: verbs take -는 데다가 (오다 → 오는 데다가), adjectives take -은 데다가 (많다 → 많은 데다가). Think of it as the conversational twin of -을뿐더러.
At the same time — -는 동시에
-는 동시에 links two developments that happen together. Trend writers love it for pairing a rise with a fall in one tidy sentence.
경제가 성장하는 동시에 격차도 커졌다 = the economy grew while the gap widened at the same time 수도권 인구가 느는 동시에 지방은 줄고 있다 = greater Seoul grows while the regions shrink 편리해지는 동시에 사생활은 줄어든다 = as it gets more convenient, privacy shrinks at the same time 문을 여는 동시에 알람이 울렸다 = the alarm rang the instant the door opened
It always takes the present modifier -는, even for past events, because it describes a relationship between two things, not a tense. The first three pair a plus and a minus — the classic editorial move.
Discussing the birth-rate news
Two coworkers reacting to a demographic headline:
Watch the connectives carry the argument: 낮을뿐더러 and 비쌀뿐더러 stack negatives, 주는 데다가 piles one on another, and 성장하는 동시에 / 편리해지는 동시에 pair opposing trends. That’s how a casual chat turns into real social analysis.
FAQ
What’s the difference between -을뿐더러 and -는 데다가? Both mean ‘not only X, but also Y’ and stack a second fact onto the first in the same direction, but they differ in register. -을뿐더러 is more formal and written — you’ll see it in news reports, essays, and trend analysis: 인구가 줄을뿐더러 (not only is the population shrinking…). -는 데다가 is the everyday spoken version, slightly more casual and very common in conversation: 비싼 데다가 맛도 없어요 (it’s expensive, and on top of that it doesn’t even taste good). Grammatically, -을뿐더러 attaches to the plain stem (낮다 → 낮을뿐더러, 줄다 → 줄을뿐더러), while -는 데다가 uses the modifier form (많다 → 많은 데다가, 가다 → 가는 데다가). When you’re writing a formal report, reach for -을뿐더러; when you’re chatting, -는 데다가 sounds more natural.
Does -는 동시에 always mean two things literally happen at the same instant? Not always. -는 동시에 has two related uses. The literal one means ‘simultaneously, at the same moment’: 문을 여는 동시에 알람이 울렸다 (the alarm rang the instant the door opened). But in trend and society writing, it more often means ‘while also / at the same time in another respect,’ framing two parallel developments — often one positive and one negative: 경제가 성장하는 동시에 환경은 나빠졌다 (the economy grew while, at the same time, the environment worsened). It’s a favorite of editorial writers because it sets up a contrast inside one clean sentence. It always takes the present-tense modifier -는, even when the events are past, because it describes a relationship rather than a tense.
How do I describe a graph or statistic at grade 5? You already learned the core graph verbs at grade 4 — 증가하다 (increase), 감소하다 (decrease), 늘어나다/줄어들다 (go up/down), 차지하다 (account for). Grade 5 adds the connective glue to combine several trends into one analytical sentence. Use -을뿐더러 and -는 데다가 to stack causes or facts (출산율이 낮을뿐더러 결혼 연령도 늦어지고 있다 — not only is the birth rate low, the marriage age is also rising), and -는 동시에 to pair a rise with a fall (수도권 인구는 느는 동시에 지방은 줄고 있다 — the capital area’s population grows while regional areas shrink). The vocabulary set below — 출산율, 고령화, 인구, 격차 — gives you the nouns these patterns hang on.
Next: education & competition — -기 나름이다, -기에 따라. Previous: counterargument — -느니, 는 말할 것도 없고. Full path: curriculum hub.