Gwangju City Maintains 8-Month Consecutive Increase in Newborn "Eungae" Cries

Expanded Support for Infertile Couples in Gwangju... Pregnancy Success Cases Exceed Last Year by Q3

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Yoon Jamin] The number of births in Gwangju Metropolitan City has been the only one nationwide to maintain an increasing trend for eight consecutive months.

Since the first increase in January, the upward trend has continued for eight consecutive months through August, maintaining the status of ‘Gwangju, a Mom (MOM)-Friendly City Good for Having and Raising Children.’

According to Gwangju City on the 27th, the number of births in Gwangju in August was 676, an increase of 73 or 12.1% compared to 603 in the same month last year.

The cumulative number of births through August was 5,529, up 554 or 11.1% from 4,975 during the same period last year.

The nationwide number of births in August was 22,291, down 111 or 0.5% from 22,402 in August last year, and the cumulative number of births through August was 181,560, a decrease of 5,699 or 3.0% compared to 187,259 during the same period last year.

Since 2019, Gwangju City has been implementing the ‘Making Gwangju a Good City for Having and Raising Children’ policy series I, II, and III to overcome low birth rates.

They have established a six-stage customized support system for each life cycle under ‘Mom (MOM)-Friendly Gwangju’ and are comprehensively promoting 28 tasks through collaboration between the Women and Family Foundation and six departments.

First, the additional support for infertile couples unique to Gwangju, which has been promoted since last year, has significantly increased successful pregnancies.

For infertile women with a standard median income of 180% or less, who have exhausted the 17-time health insurance coverage, infertility treatment costs are repeatedly supported up to four times annually. In addition, support includes traditional Korean medicine infertility treatment costs, self-help groups for infertile couples, and health program operations. As a result, 650 people succeeded in becoming pregnant last year.

This year, 702 people became pregnant in just the third quarter, exceeding last year’s success cases, totaling 1,352 successful pregnancies over two years.

Especially this year, support policies for newlyweds and pregnant women have been expanded. Health checkup costs related to pregnancy are supported for 320 couples planning their first child, and for newlyweds’ housing stability, interest on housing and urban fund rental deposits for newlyweds is supported at a differentiated rate of 0.5% to 1.0% of the loan principal depending on the number of children when new loans are taken or extended.

Since July, the ‘Gwangju-Type Postpartum Care Public Service’ has been implemented, dispatching Happy Mom Health Nurses to childbirth families to provide professional health care for pregnant women and newborns. Over three months until September, 69 mothers used the service 130 times.

Next year, to ease the household difficulties of pregnant women and help comfortable childbirth preparation, the ‘Pregnant Women’s Last Month Household Care Service Support Project’ will be promoted, supporting household chores or organizing and storage services from five months before childbirth until the expected delivery date.

Also, the birth congratulatory money will be expanded from the second child onward, and including the government-supported ‘First Meeting Voucher,’ more than 3 million KRW per child will be supported for all newborns.

Such comprehensive policies of Gwangju City’s ‘Mom (MOM)-Friendly Gwangju Good for Having and Raising Children’ can be found on the Gwangju Aikium platform, and members can continuously receive customized support policies and new initiatives for each life cycle through KakaoTalk friend connection with Gwangju Aikium.

Mayor Lee Yong-seop said, “We are creating an atmosphere where young people, our future and hope, can work, marry, and have healthy pregnancies and childbirths in ‘Mom-Friendly Gwangju Good for Having and Raising Children.’ We will continue to expand various policies such as building an AI-based children’s imagination playground where children can freely play in the With-Corona era.”