Seodaemun-gu Establishes Master Plan to Address Low Birthrate

Lee Seongheon, the district mayor (center in the photo), and participants of the 'Seodaemun-gu Low Birthrate Response Policy Report Meeting' are holding placards with slogans such as 'Birth Support City Seodaemun' and performing a demonstration.

Seodaemun-gu, Seoul (Mayor Lee Seongheon) announced on the 30th that it has recently established 18 master plan projects across six areas including reducing childcare burdens, guaranteeing childcare time, housing support, care and education, awareness improvement, and responding to population changes under the vision of ‘Sustainable Birth Support City Seodaemun-gu.’

The district promoted this initiative to prepare sustainable low birthrate measures at the autonomous district level in an era of declining birthrates and population aging.

Among the projects, the ‘Age Gap Birth Incentive’ and ‘Multiple Children School Opening Allowance’ in the childcare burden reduction area, and the ‘Class Leader Childcare Helper Project’ and ‘Childcare Helper Professional Certification System’ in the care and education area are being implemented for the first time nationwide. However, cash welfare projects will undergo social security system consultation and review by the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

The district established the low birthrate response master plan by benchmarking the childbirth and childcare policies of Yeonggwang-gun, Jeollanam-do, which has the highest total fertility rate nationwide, analyzing excellent domestic and international cases, and reviewing through three policy advisory committee meetings.

Subsequently, on the 23rd, a ‘Low Birthrate Response Policy Report Meeting’ was held at the district office’s planning situation room with policy advisory committee members for each welfare sector (comprehensive welfare, livelihood security, senior welfare, health care, infant welfare, youth welfare), district council members, and heads of related departments, declaring interdepartmental joint cooperation.

They also discussed various perspectives on the causes of low birthrate, master plan implementation methods, and the discovery of related new projects.

Seodaemun-gu is the first autonomous district in Seoul to hold such a report meeting and establish and promote a comprehensive low birthrate response plan at the district level.

Participants in the report meeting also performed a pledge holding hand signs with slogans such as ‘Birth Support City Seodaemun’ and ‘Supporting the Birth of Families’ to commit to cooperating in solving the low birthrate issue.

Mayor Lee Seongheon said, “It was a policy report meeting where we could share concerns about low birthrate and population changes and set common goals,” adding, “We will continue to unite our efforts through ongoing communication and cooperation to become a ‘Sustainable Birth Support City Seodaemun-gu.’” The district plans to promote future low birthrate response research projects based on the various opinions raised at this policy report meeting.

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