[Minseon 8th Term Naju Customized Welfare]② Naju Truly Committed to Childbirth and Disability Policies

Complete Abolition of Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Household Care Support Standards After the Launch of the 8th Elected Term

Emergency Care for People with Developmental Disabilities, Comprehensive Survey of Convenience Facilities, and Construction o

The Honam Reporting Headquarters of Asia Economy will cover the welfare policies for different social classes in Naju City during the 8th term of the elected government in a three-part series. The first report addressed customized welfare policies for the elderly in Naju City, which has entered a super-aged society (published on September 18). The second report introduces welfare policies for women and people with disabilities. Mayor Yoon Byung-tae is focusing on pregnancy and childbirth policy support to overcome low birth rates and create a favorable environment for raising children, along with customized policies following the designation of Naju as a women-friendly city. Regarding people with disabilities, a care center was opened in June to prepare for emergencies involving guardians of people with developmental disabilities, receiving positive reviews. In addition to conducting a comprehensive survey of convenience facilities for the disabled to alleviate daily inconveniences, the city is pursuing the construction of the Bandabi Sports Center, a campaign promise, which will be accessible to both people with disabilities and the general public.

▲‘Naju, a city good for having and raising children’... Strengthening pregnancy and childbirth support

South Korea recorded a total fertility rate of 0.78 last year, the lowest ever, representing the average number of children a woman is expected to have during her childbearing years (ages 15-49).

In response, Mayor Yoon has concentrated administrative efforts on overcoming the national challenge of low birth rates and creating an environment conducive to childbirth since the start of the 8th term. The first step was lowering the barriers to pregnancy and childbirth support policies and expanding effective support measures.

Thanks to these efforts, as of August this year, the number of births in Naju was 472, an increase of one compared to the same month last year (471), maintaining a total fertility rate around 1.

Since the launch of the 8th term, Mayor Yoon abolished the previous six-month residency requirement for childbirth incentives. From November 3 last year, childbirth incentives are provided even if the mother has lived in the area for just one day. Due to the removal of the residency condition, 57 people who previously did not meet the criteria benefited.

The amounts have also been significantly increased. The childbirth incentives, which were 1 million KRW for the first child, 2 million KRW for the second, and 3 million KRW for the third and beyond, were raised in July to 3 million KRW, 5 million KRW, and 10 million KRW respectively, easing the financial burden of newborn care.

The policy supporting infertility treatment costs for prospective parents struggling with infertility also removed household income criteria. As of August, 389 cases have received support for treatment costs.

Additionally, from the second half of this year, ‘infertility diagnostic examination fees,’ which help identify underlying causes of infertility, are supported up to 300,000 KRW regardless of income.

Not only after childbirth but also for pregnant women’s households (from six months of pregnancy), the ‘household care service’ providing professional domestic help has removed residency period and support conditions such as high-risk groups, multiple births, disabilities, or second child and beyond. Since April, all pregnant households, regardless of the number of children, have been able to benefit, with 522 households having received services so far.

The household care service dispatches professional domestic workers directly to homes for 3 hours per session, up to 5 times. They assist with cleaning, laundry, organizing, and other household chores, reducing the burden on pregnant women and greatly supporting a healthy pregnancy.

The utilization rate of the Naju Public Postpartum Care Center (Jeonnam Branch No. 4), located in Bitgaram General Hospital, is 76.5% of all childbirth families, the highest among branches 1 to 5 in the province. As of August this year, 245 mothers have used the postpartum care center, which provides high-quality services for postpartum recovery and has received great acclaim.

The inauguration ceremony of the 4th Naju City Women-Friendly Citizen Participation Group.
[Photo by Naju City]

▲‘Gender Equality’ and ‘Women’s Safety’ in Women-Friendly City Naju

Naju City is designated as a women-friendly city. A women-friendly city refers to a region where women and men participate equally in local policies and development processes, and policies are implemented to empower women, provide care, and ensure safety.

Designated in 2018, the city has applied for re-designation with the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family after five years since the start of the 8th term. Naju focuses on activating women’s social participation, creating women’s jobs, building safety infrastructure for women and children, supporting work-family balance, and fostering family and childcare-friendly environments, striving to develop policies that enhance women’s rights and achieve economic and social equality.

Among these efforts, Naju is newly discovering and supporting ‘women-friendly companies.’ Evaluating employment equality and work-life balance support systems, this year, Haenong Co., Ltd. and P.S. Tech Co., Ltd. were selected as women-friendly companies.

Companies receive certification plaques along with various incentives such as funding for environmental improvement projects, on-site gender equality education, employment support linked with the Women’s New Employment Center, and corporate image promotion. This aims to expand a work environment favorable to women.

The ‘Safe Home Set’ support policy for single-woman households at risk of crimes such as stalking and home intrusion also draws attention. This year, the city is installing Safe Home Sets, consisting of CCTV (door guards) and SOS emergency bells, free of charge for one year’s rental in 50 households. Additionally, 56 public restrooms, which are multi-use facilities, have been equipped with women’s safety bells that activate warning lights and alarms when pressed in emergencies.

Operation scene of the Naju City Emergency Care Center for People with Developmental Disabilities, which opened on June 1st. [Photo provided by Naju City]

▲Relieving guardians’ concerns for people with developmental disabilities... Operation of Emergency Care Center

The Emergency Care Center for people with developmental disabilities is considered a representative achievement of Mayor Yoon Byung-tae in the field of welfare for the disabled. The center opened after the Jeonnam branch of the Korea Deaf Association was selected in April as the implementing agency for the pilot project on emergency care for people with developmental disabilities conducted by Jeonnam Province.

Located in apartments Buyeong Complex 2, Bitgaram-dong, Naju (Building 208, Unit 103; Building 209, Unit 103), the center provides 24-hour care services for children with developmental disabilities who require immediate care due to unexpected situations involving their guardians.

When urgent situations arise such as hospitalization, death, disasters, family events, or psychological exhaustion of guardians of children aged 6 to under 65 with developmental disabilities, the center provides care for 1 to 7 days per instance, up to a maximum of 30 days annually. The center has a capacity of 8 people, 4 males and 4 females. Since opening on June 1 this year, 23 people with developmental disabilities have used the center.

The center offers daily care such as washing and meals, various leisure activities, transportation, and psychological counseling, providing customized services that guardians can trust as if it were their own family or child.

The daily usage fee and meal cost are each 15,000 KRW. Basic livelihood security recipients and low-income groups can use the service free of charge except for meal costs.

Mayor Yoon said, “For families of people with developmental disabilities who visit the care center due to unexpected emergencies, the center has become another family they can trust. We will spare no support to build a safer and more thorough care system and provide optimal services.”

A meeting between Yoon Byung-tae, Mayor of Naju, and representatives of organizations and facilities for the disabled.
[Photo by Naju]

▲Improving daily convenience for people with disabilities, enjoying sports welfare without discrimination

Naju City is accelerating efforts to improve accessibility and mobility rights for people with disabilities in the area. Since March, a comprehensive survey of convenience facilities for the disabled has been underway to resolve daily inconveniences.

The survey targets 1,020 buildings constructed, extensively renovated, or repurposed since the enforcement of the Act on Convenience Promotion for People with Disabilities on April 11, 1998. In collaboration with the Naju Disabled Convenience Promotion Technical Support Center, surveyors visit sites to check whether convenience facilities meet the standards set by the Act on Convenience Promotion for People with Disabilities.

With a goal to complete by October, 990 cases have been surveyed so far, and follow-up management such as facility improvements will be implemented based on the inspection results.

In March, Naju was selected as a ‘Lifelong Learning City for People with Disabilities’ by the National Institute of Special Education under the Ministry of Education. With the vision of a safe and non-discriminatory learning city, four major goals were established: expanding social participation of people with disabilities, building a human rights community for the disabled, guaranteeing lifelong education opportunities for all citizens, and expanding independent living and health rights for people with disabilities.

As part of this, on the 22nd, the city held its first ‘Boccia Recreational Sports Competition’ at the Jeollanam-do Disabled Welfare Center gymnasium. Boccia is a sport for people with disabilities similar to curling. Teams of two compete by throwing balls to score points by getting closest to the target ball.

The first competition saw about 50 participants with severe disabilities from Naju (9 teams), Muan (4 teams), and Gwangju (3 teams). Naju plans to use this event as a stepping stone to expand recreational sports participation and improve independence for people with disabilities.

Mayor Yoon is promoting the establishment of the ‘Bandabi Sports Center’ as a campaign pledge for the 8th term, a facility that both people with disabilities and non-disabled citizens can freely and comfortably use anytime. The plan involves renovating the aging indoor gymnasium in Songwol-dong, built in 1991, to create a recreational sports space where everyone can enjoy sports welfare without discrimination.

A total of 3 billion KRW will be invested in the gymnasium renovation. Scheduled for completion in 2024, plans include replacing roof panels causing leaks, installing sports equipment dedicated to people with disabilities, and upgrading restrooms.

Mayor Yoon stated, “We will reform the system so that all families can enjoy pregnancy and childbirth support services without income criteria or conditions, building an image of a city good for having and raising children.”

He added, “We will do our best to create local conditions where people can live without daily inconveniences through lifelong learning and recreational sports infrastructure expansion without distinction between disabled and non-disabled, and through the survey of convenience facilities for people with disabilities.”