Get 1 Million Won When Registering Marriage in Seoul... Support for 'Wedding Household Setup Expenses'

Seoul City Plans to Provide Support in Cash or Points

Couples who register their marriage in Seoul this year will receive 1 million won in cash or points as early as October.

According to Seoul City on the 9th, the city is undergoing the social security system consultation process with the Ministry of Health and Welfare regarding the policy to provide 1 million won to couples who register their marriage this year under the name of 'Marriage Household Preparation Expenses.'

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After completing consultations with the Ministry of Health and Welfare on the payment method and eligibility criteria, the city plans to implement the Marriage Household Preparation Expenses as early as October. The 1 million won payment will be considered in the form of cash or points usable within the local community.

The recipients will initially be couples who registered their marriage in Seoul after January 1 of this year and whose household income is at or below 150% of the median income standard for 2025 (5,898,987 won for two-person households in 2025). About 20,000 couples are expected to benefit if the eligibility is limited to couples below 150% of the median income.

The city is also considering expanding this eligibility to couples with income at or below 180% of the median income (7,078,784 won for two-person households). This is intended to continue the trend of strengthening support for meeting, marriage, childbirth, and child-rearing, following the rebound in the number of births last year.

According to population trends from Statistics Korea, the number of births in Seoul from January to November last year totaled 38,568, which is a 5.1% increase compared to the same period the previous year (36,703). Except for January (-9.0%) and March (-4.0%), the monthly number of births in Seoul last year increased compared to the same month the previous year.

The city attributes this mainly to couples who postponed marriage during the COVID-19 pandemic getting married afterward. The city also analyzes that policies such as long-term rental housing for newlyweds, infertility support, and support for multi-child families have had an impact. Seoul is reportedly carefully reviewing related measures to sustain this upward trend in births.