[Gwanga in] "Immediate Resolution for 15,000 Waiting for Care"... Problem Solver Korean Prime Minister

March On-site Visit to Daycare Centers to Hear Care Waiting Lists
Linking Women's Career Interruptions... Need to View from Investment Perspective
In Sweden, "Social Services Linked to Economic Prosperity"

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo once again stepped up as a ‘problem solver for people’s livelihoods.’ Behind the government’s policy to eliminate the waiting list of 15,000 for childcare by the end of the year was an urgent on-site directive from Prime Minister Han.

According to a comprehensive report by Asia Economy on the 28th, Prime Minister Han visited Samsung Daycare Center in Guro-gu, Seoul, on March 24th to meet with parents, teachers, and children. He held a session to listen to voices from the field to overcome the low birthrate crisis. Parents expressed frustration that although they applied for elementary school aftercare classrooms, they were not selected in the lottery and had nowhere to leave their children. If children cannot enter the aftercare classrooms, the care gap after school dismissal at 1 p.m. must be addressed. Many working moms rely on private education, running their children around academies, or even resign before their children enter elementary school.

Prime Minister Han instructed the Ministry of Education to immediately identify the current childcare waiting demand, and the Ministry reported that about 15,000 people were counted, mainly in overcrowded metropolitan areas such as Gyeonggi-do. Of the waitlisted, 97.9% were first and second graders in elementary school. By region, Gyeonggi-do accounted for 45.1% of the total.

Prime Minister Han strongly ordered the Ministry of Education, saying, “The immediate priority is to quickly resolve the waiting demand even before the full establishment of Neulbom School,” and “Time is a critical factor in this policy. Solve the problem of 15,000 childcare waitlisted children within this year.”

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo visited Guro Samsung Daycare Center in Guro-gu, Seoul on March 24 and took a commemorative photo with the children. (Photo by Yonhap News)

In response, the Ministry of Education swiftly pushed to resolve the aftercare classroom waiting list. Depending on school conditions, libraries and special rooms were prepared as childcare spaces. In overcrowded areas, student numbers were flexibly adjusted to absorb waiting demand. Childcare spaces, dedicated staff, retired teachers, and senior personnel were actively utilized to expand the number of teachers.

The number of waitlisted children, which reached 15,000 at the beginning of the semester in March, decreased to 8,700 by the end of April, about half. Chungnam, Busan, Daejeon, and Ulsan completely resolved their waiting demand. Gyeongbuk and Jeonnam resolved over 90%, while Gyeonggi-do’s resolution rate was about 19%. The remaining 8,600 childcare waiting demands will be addressed through consultations with education offices, utilizing regional hub spaces, and expanding finances, teachers, and spaces.

The expansion of Neulbom School, a national agenda project, was also advanced ahead of the original plan by Prime Minister Han’s urgent directive. Neulbom School is a program that provides after-school educational activities and childcare until 8 p.m. Currently, Neulbom School is being piloted in 214 schools across five pilot education offices. The additional designation of Neulbom Schools, originally scheduled for next year, will be moved up to the second half of this year. About 100 additional schools from two or so education offices are expected to participate. A special grant of 40 billion won will be invested for this. These details were announced at the ‘4th Social Relations Ministers’ Meeting’ chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Lee Ju-ho on the 17th.

Prime Minister Han views preventing career breaks for parents of lower-grade elementary students as a key factor in the mid- to long-term prevention of low birthrates and population decline. During his visit to four European countries on the 7th, at a meeting on education, labor, and population policies held in Sweden, he stated, “Support for women’s career breaks should be viewed from an investment perspective.”

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who is on a tour of Europe, is delivering a greeting at a local expert meeting on education, labor, and population policies held at the Grand Hotel in Stockholm, Sweden, on the 7th (local time). (Photo by Yonhap News)

At that time, Prime Minister Han said, “Swedish people think that enhancing social services should be seen as an investment that makes the economy bigger and more prosperous,” adding, “We have not thought much like that. We tend to see it as the country shrinking and only focus on solving current issues.” A Prime Minister’s Office official said, “Recently, the Prime Minister’s main concern has been overcoming low birthrates. In the long term, he is considering policies aligned with the population, labor, and education directions of Nordic countries.”

Earlier, on January 1st this year, when citizens on Seoul’s bus number 146, known for the ‘early morning packed bus,’ requested to move the first bus time earlier, Prime Minister Han immediately suggested to Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon to advance the first bus time by 15 minutes.