"If Born in Seoul, Postpartum Care Costs a Guaranteed 1 Million Won" O Sehun's Comprehensive Low Birthrate Package

Seoul City will invest a total budget of 1.8 trillion KRW to address the low birthrate issue, which has reached a national crisis level, by providing various supports for prospective parents and pregnant women. The city plans to fully cover the cost of the 'Childcare Service' and abolish residency requirements for the 'Seoul-style Postpartum Care Expenses' support. Seoul City's policy aims to expand the actual support targets and additionally provide housing and living support for childcare.

On the 6th, Seoul City announced that it will officially launch the 'Birth Support Seoul Project' containing these measures. The 'Birth Support Seoul Project' is a detailed addition to the low birthrate policy within the 'Mom and Dad Happiness Project' announced by Mayor Oh Se-hoon in 2022, with a major expansion of the support targets. Unlike existing low birthrate support measures, it covers not only caregivers but also 'prospective parents' such as youth, newlyweds, and infertile couples, supporting fundamental issues including childbirth, childcare, caregiving, and work-life balance.

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Especially this year, to reduce childcare burdens for families with multiple children, a new program called 'First Childcare Support upon Second Childbirth' will fully cover up to 100% of the personal cost for 'Childcare Service.' The 'Foreign Domestic Worker Pilot Project,' aimed at reducing household caregiving burdens for parenting families and preventing career breaks for women, will be implemented as soon as the Ministry of Employment and Labor completes consultations with sending countries.

The 'Seoul-style Postpartum Care Expenses' voucher (worth about 1 million KRW per person), which has received great support from new mothers, will abolish the residency requirement (6 months residency as of the application date) starting from the new year to ensure no one is regrettably excluded from support. The 'Accompaniment to Kindergarten and Hospital Care Service' and 'Seoul Mom and Dad Taxi,' which were piloted in some districts last year and received high demand and positive responses from parents, will be expanded to all 25 autonomous districts and fully implemented starting this year.

Housing support measures have also been added. The so-called 'Chopuma' (an apartment near an elementary school) concept will be extended to 'Childcare-Friendly Housing Isa-rang Home,' where childcare infrastructure such as daycare centers, Seoul-style kids cafes, and Kiwoom Centers are available within one building. Construction is planned to start in 2026 with move-in targeted for 2028. Starting with the 'Dangsan Public Parking Lot Site' in Yeongdeungpo-gu and the 'Southern Women's Development Center Site' in Geumcheon-gu, these will be built on public land sequentially, and a certification system will be introduced to promote expansion in private apartments.

Support for practical benefits during pregnancy and childbirth will also be provided. The 'Infertile Couple Treatment Cost Support,' pioneered by Seoul City and leading nationwide implementation, and the nation's first 'Egg Freezing Treatment Cost Support' will be expanded and strengthened to benefit more citizens.

The 'First Meeting Use Voucher,' which was 2 million KRW per child, will be increased to 3 million KRW for the second child and beyond starting this year to reduce the burden of raising multiple children. Parental allowances will also be raised from the existing 700,000 KRW per month (age 0) and 350,000 KRW (age 1) to 1 million KRW and 500,000 KRW per month, respectively.

Twins born from the new year will be provided free enrollment in the 'Multiple Birth Child Safety Insurance.' Without separate application, families raising twins (multiple births) born from January 1 this year will be automatically enrolled and can receive coverage up to 30 million KRW for emergency room visits, specific infectious disease diagnosis fees, fracture surgery costs, and more.

Early childhood support measures will also be implemented in detail. Amid the increase in daycare closures due to the low birthrate impact, 600 daycare centers will be selected as 'Companion Daycare Centers' after reviewing daycare density and enrollment rates, and will receive financial and personnel support starting March this year. The 'Seoul-style Moa Daycare,' which is seeing growing demand from caregivers despite the decrease in infants and toddlers, will add 20 more communities this year, expanding to a total of 80 communities. To strengthen emergency gap care, '365 Open Daycare Centers' available 24/7 year-round and 'Seoul-style Weekend Daycare Centers' available on Saturdays and Sundays will be expanded to 17 and 21 locations, respectively, this year.

Seoul City plans to invest a total of 1.7775 trillion KRW, including national and district funds, to support these initiatives. This is an increase of 277.3 billion KRW compared to the previous year (1.5002 trillion KRW). Kim Seon-soon, Director of the Seoul City Women's and Family Policy Office, said, "Through the Birth Support Seoul Project, Seoul City expects to establish the foundation for making Seoul a city where it is good to give birth and raise children by expanding and strengthening the highly tangible policies that have been promoted to alleviate childcare burdens."

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