Gangnam-gu, Seoul (Chief Cho Sung-myeong) announced today (20th) that it will expand childbirth and childcare subsidies and postpartum health care cost subsidies from next year as a measure to support childbirth.
The district will increase the subsidy from 300,000 won for the first child and 1 million won for the second child to 2 million won for children born on January 1 next year.
The subsidies for the third and fourth births will remain at 3 million won and 5 million won, respectively.
The Gangnam-gu Childbirth and Childcare Subsidies are paid as a lump sum in cash to families who have given birth to a child.
Apart from government vouchers, it is supported by the district's own budget.
Accordingly, if you include the 'first meeting voucher', which the government supports in the form of a 2 million won voucher for all births from next year, Gangnam-gu residents will receive a total of 4 million won in subsidy even if they have only their first child.
This is the highest level among autonomous districts in Seoul.
An official from the district explained, "The birth of the first and second children in the city accounts for more than 95% of all births."
In order to receive childbirth and childcare subsidies, a father or mother who has been registered as a resident in Gangnam-gu for at least one year from the date of reporting the birth of a newborn needs to submit an application to the local dong community service center while reporting the birth.
Parents who have lived for less than 1 year at the time of application can apply, but can receive support funds when they reach 1 year of residency.
The district also eases the criteria for the 'Postpartum Health Care Expense Support Project' and expands the scale of support.
The district provides support of up to 300,000 won per newborn to families who have used the government-supported postpartum helper service.
Currently, the target of support is a family with a standard median income of 200% or less among households whose parents have continuously lived in Gangnam-gu since 6 months before the date of birth.
However, from January 1st of next year, the income standard will be abolished and subsidies will be provided to families who continue to live in Gangnam-gu based on their resident registration from one year prior to the date of birth.
The amount of support will also increase from a maximum of 300,000 won to 1 million won per newborn.
Gangnam-gu Mayor Cho Seong-myeong said, "I hope that the support project, which will be expanded from next year, will ease the burden of childcare in the early stages of childbirth."