Naju Sees Increase in Births for Second Consecutive Year... Positive Impact of Childbirth Policies

788 Births in 2024, Up from 735 in 2023
Naju Ranks First in Total Fertility Rate Among Jeollanam-do Cities
Support of 10 Million KRW for Third and Subsequent Children

Yoon Byungtae, mayor of Naju, visiting and congratulating a family with their seventh child residing in the area. Provided by Naju City

The number of newborns in Naju, Jeollanam-do has increased for two consecutive years. The policy direction of the 8th popularly elected administration, which has removed barriers such as residency period and income requirements to provide pregnancy, childbirth, and childcare services to all households, has proven effective through the rise in birth rates.

According to Naju City on the 25th, the number of births in 2024 was 788, a 7.2% increase from the previous year (735). In 2023, the number of births was 735, which was an 8.1% increase compared to the year before (680). This marks two consecutive years of growth.

The total fertility rate, which indicates the average number of children a woman is expected to have during her childbearing years, was 1.09% in 2023, surpassing the national average of 0.72%. This ranked first among the five cities in the province, and it is expected to remain in first place in 2024 as well.

The increase in the number of births, a fundamental solution to the low birthrate issue, is attributed to Naju City's customized policy support covering the entire process from pregnancy to childbirth and childcare. Since November 2022, Naju City has abolished the previous requirement of six months of mandatory residency for childbirth incentives.

The amount of support has also increased significantly. Since July 2023, 3 million KRW is provided for the first child, 5 million KRW for the second, and 10 million KRW for the third and subsequent children, offering substantial help to newborn families with childcare expenses. In addition to the childbirth incentive, from January 1, 2024, newborns receive a combined monthly payment of 200,000 KRW on the 25th of each month, consisting of 100,000 KRW from Jeollanam-do and 100,000 KRW as Naju City's basic birth allowance, providing an unprecedented benefit.

Following the removal of income and frequency restrictions for infertility treatment support, the pre-pregnancy health management program for preserving women's fertility has expanded eligibility from this year to all men and women aged 20 to 49 who wish to be tested, regardless of marital status or whether they have children. In addition, support is provided for procedures such as egg freezing for women with decreased ovarian function or advanced age, and vasectomy/tubal reversal surgeries, aiming to increase the future birthrate by expanding the fertile population.

To supplement policies that were previously focused only on childbirth, the 'Household Care Service for Pregnant Women,' introduced as a pledge of the 8th popularly elected administration, supports women from the pregnancy stage, reducing the household burden and helping them maintain a healthy daily life. A household care manager is dispatched to pregnant households (from 21 weeks to before childbirth) to provide cleaning and organizing services, four times in total, with each session lasting four hours. As of 2024, 1,035 household care services have been provided to 290 pregnant women.

Differentiated childcare services following pregnancy and childbirth are also noteworthy. In September 2023, the city opened the province's first 365-day part-time childcare center in Bitgaram-dong. This service cares for children (from six months old to preschool age) year-round, including weekends and holidays, to accommodate parents with urgent needs such as dual-income families or weekend work, providing significant support to families requiring emergency care. Following Bitgaram-dong (Kinderbrain Daycare Center), the service expanded to a second location in Nampyeong-eup (Nampyeong Daycare Center) in March 2024, and a third in Songwol-dong (Gungjeon Daycare Center) in October 2024.

Yoon Byungtae, Mayor of Naju, said, "With the 8th popularly elected administration's pregnancy, childbirth, and childcare policies that leave no one behind, Naju is becoming a better place to have and raise children, as proven by the increase in the number of births."

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