"Chubby Children, Receive a 150,000 Won Diet Support Fund"

Jeju Has the Highest Child Obesity Rate Nationwide
Health and Experience Activity Expenses Provided for 8-9 Year Olds

Jeju Province, which has the highest child obesity rate in the country, will provide child health and cultural experience activity expenses. The eligible age is 8 to 9 years old as of the payment date in October.

Jeju Province announced on the 29th that children born between January 2014 and October 2015 will receive 50,000 won per month for three months, totaling 150,000 won in activity expenses.

[Photo by Yonhap News]

For children born in November 2013, 50,000 won will be paid for one month only, and for those born in December 2013, 50,000 won per month will be paid for two months, totaling 100,000 won. The estimated number of eligible children is 21,365.

Eligible households can apply from September 4 to December 15 at their local eup/myeon/dong community service centers or through the Jeju Provincial Government website. The province plans to pay the amount in the local currency, Tamnanejeon, starting October 4.

The paid allowance can be used at 644 affiliated stores within the province, including sports centers, exercise-related academies, gyms, movie theaters, cultural facilities, and bookstores.

This program will operate temporarily for only three months. Initially, Jeju Province promoted the child health experience activity expense support project as part of the universal welfare concept, aiming to make Jeju a "child-rearing friendly" place, which is a core population policy of the 8th local government administration. Previously, the child allowance was paid at 100,000 won per month until the age of 7 (up to 95 months old), but this project aimed to extend welfare benefits to children in the age group where the allowance stops.

Jeju's child obesity rate was recorded at 19.3%, which is 5.8 percentage points higher than the national average of 13.5%, lending credibility to the argument that this project is necessary to secure children's health rights.

However, due to the government's policy of prioritizing support for socially vulnerable groups (low-income students, multi-child families, etc.), universal welfare support from the government has become difficult, so the program will be operated temporarily for only three months.

Kang In-cheol, Director of the Welfare and Family Bureau of Jeju Province, said, "Regardless of income level, we have decided to temporarily provide child health and experience activity expenses so that all children in the province can secure their health rights," adding, "We will find areas for improvement during the remaining period and plan to continue the program when it can be implemented in the future."

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