Handonghun "Free Education and Childcare from Age 5... Gradual Expansion to Ages 3-4"

Han Dong-hoon, the Chief Election Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, promised on the 31st, "We will implement free education and childcare starting from age 5 in 2025 and gradually expand it to ages 3 to 4."

On the morning of the same day at Yeoneum Hall in Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi Province, Chairman Han stated, "For children attending daycare centers or public kindergartens, parents bear almost no cost, but for private kindergartens, depending on the city or province, parents may have to pay up to 200,000 KRW per month," adding, "We intend to significantly reduce this additional burden."

Specific low birthrate pledges include △ reducing costs for early childhood education and childcare △ expanding tax deductions for children's education expenses such as arts and physical education academy fees △ alleviating childcare concerns for dual-income parents.

Monthly support for early childhood tuition and childcare fees, currently 280,000 KRW per child, will be significantly increased to provide free education and childcare starting from age 5. According to materials released by the People Power Party, the current standard early childhood education fee for 5-year-olds is 557,000 KRW, and the standard childcare fee for ages 4 to 5 is about 522,000 KRW.

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The scope of tax deductions for children's education expenses related to arts and physical education academy fees will be expanded from currently only preschool children to include elementary school students. Chairman Han also said, "We will expand the tax deduction for children's education expenses for arts and physical education academy fees such as Taekwondo, art, piano, and jump rope academies from currently preschool children to elementary school students."

He pointed out, "Under the current Income Tax Act, tax deductions apply to Taekwondo academies until kindergarten, but not once the child enters elementary school," adding, "While we should be celebrating elementary school admission, the situation is rather one of concern."

To ease childcare concerns for dual-income parents, from the second semester of this year, the Neulbom School program will be fully implemented in all elementary schools nationwide, with operating hours extended until parents finish work. Expanding Neulbom School during vacations will address elementary childcare and meal issues.

Chairman Han emphasized, "We aim to complete 'national responsibility for childcare from ages 0 to 12' by expanding responsible education starting with Neulbom School to free early childhood education and childcare," and added, "The ruling party will take the lead in creating a country where there is no worry about childcare costs."

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