Nowon-gu, the Top Autonomous District in Seoul for Total Fertility Rate: What’s the Secret?

Focusing on Creating a Supportive Environment for Child Rearing After Birth, Not Just Childbirth
Bold Policies from Infant Care to Community-Led Elementary After-School Programs Prove Effective
Spotlight on the Secret Behind the Rapid Rise from 7th to 1st Place Among Districts in 2018

Nowon-gu, Seoul (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) announced that it ranked first in total fertility rate among Seoul's autonomous districts according to the 2023 Population Trend Survey released by Statistics Korea.

According to the Statistics Korea announcement on the 28th, Nowon-gu's total fertility rate in 2023 was 0.67, significantly surpassing the Seoul city average of 0.55, making it the highest among the 25 autonomous districts.

The district attributes its high fertility rate amid the nationwide 'ultra-low birthrate' crisis to policies focused on creating an environment where children born with difficulty can be raised with peace of mind, rather than one-time supports such as childbirth congratulatory money.

Nowon-gu has comprehensively examined the difficulties residents face at each stage, from pregnancy and childbirth to infant care and child and adolescent education.

Key projects include ▲ Nowon Safe Daycare Centers ▲ Child-Friendly Taxi ▲ Sick Child Care Centers ▲ and operation of the I-Hyu Center.

First, the 'Nowon Safe Daycare Centers,' which improve the quality of childcare by reducing the number of children per teacher, have received positive responses from both parents and teachers. Instead of forcibly increasing the number of teachers in cramped spaces to meet ratios, the approach is to reduce the number of children in the childcare room to improve the quality of the childcare environment. The Nowon-type Safe Daycare Centers, first operated nationwide in 2022 for classes for children with disabilities and those aged 1 to 3, will be applied to all age groups this year.

The 'Child-Friendly Taxi,' which provides dedicated vehicles when infants, toddlers, and infertile couples visit hospitals or childcare facilities, will expand its service target from children under 24 months to those under 36 months starting this year.

The program targeting elementary school students from dual-income families, who have been in a care gap, is a field the district particularly proudly promotes.

The after-school care facility for elementary students, the 'I-Hyu Center,' which started operation nationwide for the first time in 2018, has expanded to 28 locations as of 2024. It is recognized as a representative model of community-tailored care and has become the foundation of the 'Seoul Childcare Center,' spreading to other autonomous districts.

Additionally, the 'Sick Child Hospital Accompaniment Service,' first launched nationwide in 2019, has been expanded to the 'Sick Child Care Center' since the following year. This service was selected as a '2020 Government Innovation Case that Brought Positive Changes to the Daily Lives of Citizens' by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and has been introduced as an administrative service with high local resident satisfaction.

Also, the '1,000 Won Children's Cafeteria,' which provides one high-quality balanced meal for 1,000 won at children's cafeterias for children whose guardians find it difficult to prepare meals after school, is operating successfully.

Furthermore, across the district administration, projects are being promoted toward the goal of making Nowon a 'child-friendly city,' including ▲ education (Math Culture Center, Innovation Education Center, English video learning operation) ▲ health (student and dental primary care projects, Nowon-type maternal and newborn health management) ▲ healing and leisure (infant forest experience center, children's park remodeling, winter vacation sledding and water park operation) ▲ culture (Nowon Children's Theater, visiting street arts festival) ▲ and social safety net expansion (direct management of child protection agencies, exclusive facilities for abused infants and toddlers, prevention of school dropout and support for at-risk youth, comprehensive survey of vulnerable children).

These efforts have been recognized for excellence by various institutions, receiving awards such as the '2022 Presidential Award for Childcare Merit,' the 'Children's Safety Award from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety,' and the 'Best Autonomous District in Child Protection System.'

The recent fertility rate survey results highlight why Nowon-gu's policy insight into improving childcare environments is being seen as an alternative amid the rising national crisis of the 'ultra-low birthrate' era.

Oh Seung-rok, Mayor of Nowon-gu, said, “To become a region where it is good to have children, it must also be a region where children can grow well and where their families can live their daily lives comfortably. We will improve the overall urban infrastructure so that families who start their precious first meeting with their baby in Nowon can be proud to spend their lives together.”

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