Lee Jae-myung: "The State Must Take Responsibility for Childcare and Parenting to Solve Low Birthrate"

[Asia Economy (Yeoju) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Lee Jae-myung, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, visited the Yeoju Public Postpartum Care Center on the 9th and stated, "In a situation where childbirth is becoming a burden and pain, society must take full responsibility for child-rearing and childcare."

On this day, Governor Lee encouraged the efforts of officials who are working hard on quarantine management to ensure the safety of mothers and newborns amid the spread of COVID-19 and emphasized the importance and role of public postpartum care centers.

Present at the event were Lee Hang-jin, Mayor of Yeoju City, National Assembly members Nam In-soon and Kwon In-sook, and Lee Jong-hyun, Director of the Gyeonggi Yeoju Public Postpartum Care Center.

Mothers currently using the care center also participated in the meeting via non-face-to-face video calls.

Governor Lee expressed concern about the current situation, saying, "Low birthrate has become a social problem, and globally, our society is being identified and worried about as a low birthrate society. In the past, childbirth symbolized joy and hope, but now it is becoming a burden and pain."

He added, "Although childbirth is a personal choice, I think society should take full responsibility for child-rearing and childcare. Private postpartum care centers impose a significant financial burden on mothers and families, so this issue needs to be systematically addressed. Protecting mothers and babies in a comfortable and safe environment is a basic responsibility of the state, and there is a need to promote free services as much as possible in the long term," he emphasized.

In response, a mother hospitalized at the care center said, "During the COVID-19 pandemic, I chose this place because it is a safe and trustworthy center with thorough infection control and reasonable fees. At first, I was worried that the facilities and services might be inferior compared to private centers, but after staying for about a week, I am satisfied and think this is a great welfare service. I hope many such care centers will be established."

Governor Lee said, "In our country, public services operated with taxes are perceived as worse than private ones, but this perception needs to change. I hope support will be increased so that everyone who wants to use the service can do so."

The Yeoju Public Postpartum Care Center, the first public postpartum care center in Gyeonggi Province, opened in May 2019 with 13 rooms.

The usage fee for two weeks is 1.68 million KRW, which is 63% of the average private postpartum care center fee of 2.66 million KRW. In terms of facilities, it offers various programs including postpartum care classes for mothers, exercise classes for pregnant women and infants, and childbirth program rooms.

These features have been recognized among families giving birth in the province, with the Yeoju Public Postpartum Care Center recording an average occupancy rate of 81% last year.

Not only the occupancy rate but also the public nature has been strengthened. The province offers a 50% discount on fees for families with three or more children, families with disabled members, and single-parent families. Among the 282 users last year, 46.4% were eligible for discounts. By region, 55.3% (156 people) of users last year were non-Yeoju residents, including residents from Gwangju, Icheon, and Seongnam, establishing the center as a metropolitan public facility for southeastern Gyeonggi residents.

The province began construction of the second public postpartum care center in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, following Yeoju, in January. It is scheduled to open next year, and although originally planned to have 13 rooms, it was changed to 20 rooms in response to high demand.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.