Gangnam-gu Offers Up to 7.4 Million KRW in First Month for First Child
Highest First Child Support Among Seoul Districts...Support Programs to Continue
It was not unreasonable to say that newlyweds should live in Gangnam, even if only on a jeonse lease.
Living on a jeonse lease in Gangnam provides a foundation for purchasing a home in Gangnam as well.
Additionally, Gangnam-gu offers an unprecedented support of up to 7.4 million KRW in the first month after the birth of the first child, including national and city funds.
Gangnam-gu (District Mayor Jo Seongmyeong) announced on the 24th that anyone who has their first child will receive up to 7.4 million KRW in cash and vouchers in the first month, regardless of income.
Last year, Gangnam-gu was the only one among the 25 autonomous districts in Seoul to see an increase in the number of births. According to resident registration population statistics announced by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety on January 14, 2023, the number of births in Gangnam-gu was 2,350, an increase of 280 (13.5%) from the previous year (2,070). This was a dramatic increase considering that Gangnam-gu ranked fifth from the bottom (0.49) in total fertility rate among the 25 districts in 2022.
The district believes that the dramatic increase in birth and childcare support funds last year had a policy effect. To actively address the low birthrate issue, the district increased the support amount for the first child from 300,000 KRW and the second child from 1 million KRW to 2 million KRW each starting last year. This increase was unprecedented because, in 2022, the Ministry of Health and Welfare introduced the First Meeting Voucher (2 million KRW), leading most Seoul districts to discontinue their birth and childcare support funds. Currently, only five districts provide birth and childcare support funds for the first child, and among them, Gangnam-gu offers the highest amount of 2 million KRW.
The district focuses on the first child because the births of the first and second children account for more than 95% of all births in the area. Therefore, increasing support for these children is seen as a practical way to help families with newborns.
The district will continue its exceptional birth support policies this year as well. When a family in Gangnam-gu has their first child, they will receive a total of 2.5 million KRW in the first month, combining ▲birth and childcare support funds (2 million KRW) and ▲postpartum health care costs (up to 500,000 KRW). In addition, government support programs provide ▲First Meeting Voucher (2 million KRW, voucher), ▲Parent Allowance (1 million KRW/month, cash), ▲Child Allowance (100,000 KRW/month, cash), and ▲Pregnant Women Transportation Expenses (700,000 KRW, voucher). Seoul city support programs include ▲Seoul Postpartum Care Expenses (1 million KRW, voucher) and ▲Seoul Mom and Dad Taxi (100,000 KRW annually, voucher), bringing the total support to a maximum of 7.4 million KRW.
Jo Seongmyeong, Mayor of Gangnam-gu, stated, “We have abolished all income criteria not only for birth encouragement support funds but also for support programs for infertile couples, and we are the only district in Seoul to support male infertility. Additionally, we are creating a safe environment for raising children by supporting pediatric night care and installing school zone sidewalks, and we will continue to implement effective birth encouragement policies.”
As a “wealthy district,” Gangnam-gu has strong finances, allowing it to provide birth encouragement support funds that other districts cannot match. Especially as the low birthrate issue has emerged as a serious national challenge that could determine the country's fate, Gangnam-gu’s increased support is seen as a response to this critical problem.
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