Gangbuk-gu, Birth Celebration Allowance Provided from First Child Onwards

First Newborn This Year 200,000 KRW, Second 400,000 KRW, Third 600,000 KRW, Fourth or More 1,000,000 KRW... Apply at Local Community Center Within One Year from Child's Birth Date

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Gangbuk-gu (District Mayor Park Kyum-soo) will provide birth congratulatory money starting from the first child to address the low birthrate issue.

The support amount per newborn is 200,000 KRW for the first child, 400,000 KRW for the second, 600,000 KRW for the third, and 1,000,000 KRW for the fourth and beyond. Previously, 300,000 KRW was given starting from the birth of the second child. The revised criteria will apply to children born this year.

Parents of newborns can apply for the birth congratulatory money at the local community service center within one year from the child's birth date. However, parents must have been registered residents of Gangbuk-gu and actually residing there for at least three months prior to the application date.

Applications are convenient using the ‘Integrated Childbirth Service Application Form’ available at the community service center. By bringing an ID, applicants can process not only nationwide or Seoul city common services but also local support programs all at once.

Last year, as part of its low birthrate response policy, Gangbuk-gu revised related ordinances, changing the name from childbirth and childcare support money to birth congratulatory money. The support amount was increased and the eligibility expanded to include the first child.

Additionally, the district is steadily expanding infrastructure to establish a care system from childbirth to childcare. The ‘Suyu 1-dong Community Childcare Sharing Center,’ a neighborhood care community, is scheduled to open in April this year. An ‘Open Childcare Room,’ a cooperative childcare space for infants and toddlers under six and their parents, will also be set up in newly purchased rental housing for newlywed couples in Mia-dong.

Furthermore, within this year, a third branch of the ‘Our Neighborhood Care Center,’ a care facility for elementary school students (ages 6 to 12) will open in Samyang-dong. The first and second centers, opened in December last year, provide universal care services in Suyu 2-dong and Insu-dong respectively.

Park Kyum-soo, Mayor of Gangbuk-gu, stated, “The warning signs of a population cliff are sounding as the number of births in the region decreases every year. With a long-term goal, we will meticulously refine annual comprehensive measures to respond to low birthrates and create ‘Gangbuk, a good place to have and raise children.’”