[Exclusive] Seoul City Begins Support for 'Jeong-Nangwan Restoration Procedure Fees' Starting Today

May Supplementary Budget Announcement Includes New Projects
Targeting Men Under 55 and Women Under 49
Some Criticize as "Not a Fundamental Solution"

The Seoul Metropolitan Government has confirmed that it will start a program from the 15th to support the cost of vasectomy and tubal ligation reversal procedures for those who wish to conceive and give birth again after permanent sterilization surgery. As part of measures to overcome low birth rates, up to 1 million KRW will be supported if the age criteria are met. However, some critics argue that this is not a 'fundamental solution' to the low birth rate issue, indicating that verification of the policy's effectiveness will be necessary in the future.

According to reporting by Asia Economy, Seoul began accepting applications for the 'Vasectomy and Tubal Ligation Reversal Procedure Cost Support Program' from this day. The program aims to alleviate the financial burden on families wishing to conceive and give birth, and was added as a 'new project' in the supplementary budget announced by the city last May.

With a budget of 100 million KRW allocated to the project last month and approved by the city council, applications have been accepted starting today. According to the city, about 100 to 110 citizens undergo vasectomy or tubal ligation reversal surgery annually, with 30 to 70% regaining fertility. Besides Seoul, multiple local governments such as Gunpo in Gyeonggi Province, Jecheon in Chungbuk, Changwon in Gyeongnam, and Mokpo in Jeonnam are also running programs to support procedure costs.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The support targets Seoul citizens who have undergone vasectomy or tubal ligation excision or ligation surgery, providing up to 1 million KRW once in a lifetime. The support is retroactive to those who had the procedure from January of this year. There are no additional income criteria aside from the age requirement. Men aged 55 or younger (born in 1968 or later) and women aged 49 or younger (born in 1974 or later) are eligible to apply. A Seoul city official explained, "For women, only 1 to 2 undergo tubal (reversal) surgery per year, and since most pursue in vitro fertilization or embryo transfer after their fertile period, the age range was set considering this." Generally, the female fertile period is considered to be from ages 15 to 49.

Seoul is promoting the vasectomy and tubal ligation reversal project under the 'Birth Support Seoul Project,' a policy to overcome low birth rates. However, since the supplementary budget announcement in May, opposition parties have criticized it as a 'short-sighted' solution. The Justice Innovation Party stated, "Is it really the case that our citizens do not have children because they cannot afford vasectomy or tubal ligation reversal costs?" and criticized, "The low birth rate issue cannot be solved with just a few coins; it requires fundamentally improving the social structure that prevents childbirth." Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, also pointed out at the party's highest council meeting on the 3rd of last month, "The policy supporting vasectomy reversal surgery from Seoul is hard to accept," and added, "Fundamental and nationwide measures must be devised."

In response, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon publicly rebutted the two leaders on Facebook. Mayor Oh asked, "Have you checked that vasectomy and tubal ligation reversal procedures have been covered by the national health insurance as a low birth rate measure since the Roh Moo-hyun administration?" He continued, "Reversal surgery itself strongly demonstrates the will to conceive and give birth. Is it really such a strange policy to invest a total budget of 100 million KRW per year, giving 1 million KRW each to those individuals?" The Korean Urological Association also issued a statement, saying, "According to association data, the birth rate after reversal surgery is as high as 78.1%," and added, "If a budget of 100 million KRW can encourage childbirth and expect a slightly higher birth rate, it is definitely a project worth trying."