Gwangju Mayor Kang Gijeong: "Children Are Happy When Mom and Dad Are Comfortable"

Gwangju City Implements 'Aikiwoom All-In Policy'... Covers Cash, Medical, Care, Work, and Life

Four Major Care Supports... New Policies Including Dalbit Children's Hospital Addition and Neighbor Emergency Care

Gwangju Metropolitan City is fully committed to creating a city where both parents and children are happy.

Gwangju City (Mayor Kang Gi-jung) announced on the 30th that it will implement the ‘All-in Childcare Policy’ which provides comprehensive support in cash, medical care, childcare, and work-life balance when having a child.

The city held the ‘2024 Birth and Childcare Sector Work Report Meeting’ attended by about 100 people including Mayor Kang Gi-jung, birth and childcare policy experts, related agency officials, small business employees, parents, and newlyweds.

In the work report, to respond effectively to the accelerating low birthrate and changes in population structure, Gwangju announced the Gwangju-style birth and childcare policy ‘Childcare ALL IN Gwangju 7400+’.

The core of this policy is to provide parents raising children in Gwangju with four major family support cares that have a strong impact. The four cares are ▲‘Cash Care’ (74 million KRW) to reduce parental burden in early childcare ▲‘Medical Care’ to expand medical support ▲‘Childcare Care’ to strengthen childcare and caregiving ▲‘Work-Life Care’ to build a child-friendly social foundation.

▲‘Cash Care’ to more effectively reduce economic burdens in early childcare

Children born in Gwangju receive 74 million KRW per child until school age (17 years old), and depending on individual income and eligibility, can receive up to 323 million KRW.

Especially considering that the early childcare stage is a time when parents face increased economic burdens due to decreased household income from childbirth and leave, and increased childcare costs, cash support is strengthened for parents with children aged 0 to 7 through the First Meeting Voucher, parental allowance, and child allowance.

From this year, the parental allowance has been increased from 700,000 KRW to 1,000,000 KRW per month for 0-year-olds, and from 350,000 KRW to 500,000 KRW per month for 1-year-olds, totaling 29.6 million KRW in support. Compared to last year when families with first-born children received a cumulative 22.4 million KRW for ages 0 to 7, this is an increase of 7.2 million KRW.

From the second half of the year, public transportation fare support will be implemented. Policies for free rides for children and 50% discounts for youth will be enforced, and families with newborns can also enjoy up to 10% discounts for up to two people through the ‘Gwangju Win-Win Card’ benefits.

▲‘Medical Care’ to strengthen medical support for healthy pregnancy and childbirth

Gwangju City will significantly enhance medical support from this year, considering the rising age of first childbirth, infertility, and the need to expand pediatric medical services.

Both spouses will receive support for ‘fertility testing fees’ (50,000 KRW for men, 100,000 KRW for women), and support projects for infertile couples, high-risk pregnant women, and premature infants will expand eligibility by removing income criteria.

Additionally, after review by the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Social Security Committee in the first half of the year, a project to support ‘fertility preservation procedure fees’ (including unmarried women) will be introduced for the first time. This is expected to promote healthy pregnancies and births.

The 24-hour public late-night children’s hospital, which received great response last year, will also be expanded. Gwangju plans to designate two additional ‘Moonlight Children’s Hospitals’ between March and April to strengthen the 24-hour pediatric and adolescent medical service system.

▲More thorough and smart ‘Childcare Care’

To ensure parents can work with peace of mind anytime and anywhere, the public nature of childcare and caregiving will be strengthened. From this year, the age limit for grandchildren caregivers will be lowered from 8 to 6 years old, and the usage period adjusted to a maximum of 3 years.

A new ‘Neighbor Emergency Childcare Service’ project will be launched to enable mutual childcare among neighbors at the apartment (village) level. Additionally, 14 more ‘Together Childcare Centers’ will be established to expand after-school care services for children aged 6 to 12, operating a total of 39 centers.

▲‘Work-Life Care’ to build a work-life balance social ecosystem

To establish a sustainable birth and childcare ecosystem, childcare and caregiving infrastructure will be expanded, and various projects to spread a childbirth and parenting-friendly atmosphere will be carried out.

To increase childcare and caregiving time for workers in local small and medium-sized enterprises, the ‘10 a.m. Start Work Policy for Parents of Elementary School Students’ currently implemented for workers in small businesses with fewer than 300 employees will be significantly expanded from 125 people last year to 1,000 people.

The ‘AI-based Children’s Imagination Playground,’ developed as a landmark children’s play facility representing Gwangju, aims to complete design this year with a target completion in 2027. The Seonun District Newlywed Hope Town with 1,224 households for youth and newlyweds is also scheduled to be completed by the end of this year.

A ‘Birth and Childcare Policy Forum’ will be held in the first half of the year to spread a childbirth and parenting-friendly atmosphere.

At the site, various birth and childcare policy proposals were presented, including fundamental causes of low birthrate such as social polarization, foreigner birth and childcare support policies, the 10 a.m. start work policy, and the creation of shared childcare spaces.

Seo Young-jo, a parent raising five children, said, “If you don’t have money, you can use an overdraft, but if there is no hospital when a child is sick, it’s really helpless. I think the public late-night children’s hospital was the best policy Gwangju City implemented last year. Additional operation is definitely necessary going forward.”

Mayor Kang Gi-jung of Gwangju said, “All policies come from the citizens who make up Gwangju. We started work reporting with citizens to listen to their opinions through empathy and participation and to reflect them in future strategies for Gwangju 10 and 20 years from now,” adding, “Since parents must be happy for children to grow up happily, we will listen carefully to voices from the field and focus investment on birth and childcare policies with high parental satisfaction to create a ‘city comfortable for moms and dads.’”

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