▲Expanded support for infertility treatment costs for couples (July) ▲Happy breastfeeding support (July) ▲Seoul’s only pregnancy congratulatory allowance support (August) ▲Opening and operation of Seodaemun-gu Public Postpartum Care Center and Maternal and Child Health Promotion Center (November), etc.
Seodaemun-gu (District Mayor Lee Seongheon) announced on the 10th that it will expand various support policies from pregnancy preparation to childbirth to overcome low birth rates.
In the second half of this year, there will be ▲expanded support for infertility treatment costs for couples (July) ▲happy breastfeeding support (July) ▲pregnancy congratulatory allowance support (August) ▲opening and operation of Seodaemun-gu Public Postpartum Care Center and Maternal and Child Health Promotion Center (November), among others.
The ‘infertility treatment cost’ support removes the existing income criteria and treatment category restrictions to focus support on infertile couples who want to have children.
The target is infertile couples who have resided in Seoul for more than six months as of the application date, supporting treatment costs (out-of-pocket expenses) up to 1.1 million KRW per session for a maximum of 22 sessions. The previous treatment category limits (10 fresh cycles, 7 frozen cycles, 5 artificial inseminations per treatment) are eliminated to guarantee choice.
‘Visiting Happy Breastfeeding’ aims to promote the health recovery of mothers and the healthy growth and development of newborns.
The target is mothers residing in Seodaemun-gu within 8 weeks postpartum who need breastfeeding management. A professional breastfeeding manager visits the home directly to provide one-on-one customized breastfeeding education, counseling, and massage services.
Support is provided up to twice per person (1 hour per session, 100,000 KRW), alleviating breast engorgement and pain and increasing breastfeeding practice rates.
For reference, a breastfeeding manager refers to a nurse or midwife who has completed the breastfeeding specialist course at the Korea Midwives Association.
Additionally, Seodaemun-gu is the only district in Seoul to provide pregnancy congratulatory allowances starting August 1.
This applies to pregnant women who have resided in Seodaemun-gu for more than six months as of July 1, 2023, with no restrictions on property or income levels. The allowance is 300,000 KRW for one fetus, 600,000 KRW for twins, and 900,000 KRW for triplets or more.
Seodaemun-gu, which is constructing a public postpartum care center, recently signed an agreement with Cheongsol Trust, a private consignment operating agency. After hiring health management personnel such as nurses and conducting a pilot operation, it is scheduled to open around November this year.
The care center will be a four-story building with a total area of 1,375㎡, equipped with 12 mother-and-baby rooms (rooms where mothers and newborns stay together), a newborn room, breastfeeding room, program room, and more.
It will also be furnished with postpartum care and rest necessities such as motion beds for mothers, newborn cribs, personal sitz baths and breast pumps, TVs, and refrigerators.
The usage fee is 2.5 million KRW for a basic two-week (14-day) stay according to the ordinance. Mothers from families of national merit holders, basic livelihood security recipients or near-poverty class, multicultural families, families with disabilities, and single-parent families within the district receive a 50% discount and priority admission. All Seodaemun-gu residents also receive a 20% discount benefit.
On the fourth floor of the public postpartum care center, a ‘Maternal and Child Health Promotion Center’ will be established to serve as a hub for maternal and infant health promotion covering pregnancy, childbirth, and childcare throughout Seodaemun-gu.
District Mayor Lee Seongheon said, “We will continue to create a Seodaemun-gu that is good for having and raising children through more detailed and realistic childbirth encouragement policies.”
For more information, contact the Maternal and Child Health Team of the Seodaemun-gu Public Health Center’s Regional Health Division.
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