Naju City in Jeollanam-do is significantly expanding policy support for women's ‘fertility preservation’ amid rising childbirth age due to late marriages, in addition to existing support for infertile couples.
On the 15th, Naju City announced that starting in April, it will provide support for ‘egg freezing procedure costs’ for older women regardless of marital status to preserve fertility.
This aims to maximize the pregnancy potential of older women through support such as egg freezing before the decline in ‘fertility’?the ability to conceive?becomes severe.
The support covers costs such as egg retrieval and freezing, with up to 2 million KRW provided once.
Applicants must be women aged 30 to 40 who have resided in the province for more than six months, meet 180% of the median income standard, and have an anti-M?llerian hormone (AMH) level of 1.5 or below.
However, women in their 20s with diminished ovarian reserve (AMH below 1.0) who may face early menopause can also apply.
Additionally, from this month, the city will support couples undergoing assisted reproductive technology using frozen eggs for fertility preservation, regardless of infertility status, with up to 1 million KRW per cycle for a total of two cycles.
Earlier, under the 8th municipal administration, Naju City established and operates the ‘Naju-type infertility treatment cost’ system, which provides treatment cost support to all infertile couples without income restrictions, as well as the ‘infertility screening cost’ system to improve early diagnosis and treatment accessibility.
Since July 2023, the infertility screening cost covers up to 300,000 KRW once for examination fees at infertility treatment medical institutions designated by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, based on the combined income of the couple.
Infertility treatment costs are supported without limit on the number of treatments, with up to 200,000 to 1.5 million KRW per session.
The ‘Oriental medicine infertility treatment support’ project, which helps couples who have not conceived for over a year without underlying diseases improve their constitution to give birth to healthy children, also draws attention.
There are no income conditions, and it provides four months’ worth of herbal medicine valued at approximately 1.8 million KRW per person.
Application conditions require both spouses (including common-law marriages) to have resided in the province for more than six months, and either a ‘woman aged 35 or older who has not conceived for over six months’ or a ‘couple (woman) who has not conceived for over a year.’
While infertility has emerged as a social issue and infertility treatment has been actively supported through health insurance coverage and local government policies, there have been limitations in policy support for fertility preservation to prevent intractable infertility in older women.
In particular, fertility preservation methods such as egg, embryo, and ovarian freezing are fully non-reimbursable, requiring individuals to bear considerable costs for treatment.
Naju City expects that reducing the economic burden on couples through infertility diagnosis, egg freezing, and assisted reproductive technology support policies will greatly contribute to overcoming low birth rates by preserving fertility in older women.
Applications for infertility treatment support, including egg freezing procedure costs, can be submitted year-round by visiting the Maternal and Child Health Office on the 2nd floor of Building 2 at the Naju City Health Center.
Mayor Yoon Byung-tae of Naju said, “We are expanding support policies not only for infertile couples struggling with pregnancy but also for unmarried women who wish to preserve fertility for pregnancy and childbirth. We will continue to promote policies and support to make Naju a better place to have and raise children, aiming for a sustained increase in birth rates.”
Naju = Kim Yukbong, Honam Reporting Headquarters, Asia Economy bless4ya@asiae.co.kr
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