300 Newlywed Couples in Their 20s Receive 1 Million Won Support for Appliances and Furniture Purchases... Gyeongbuk Province Reveals 150 Low Birthrate Tasks

On the 16th, Gyeongbuk Province posted a guidebook titled “Major Shift in Low Birthrate, 150+ Practical Tasks That Truly Resonate” on the Gyeongsangbuk-do homepage, introducing low birthrate countermeasures that residents can receive support for.

The 150+ Practical Tasks guidebook provides an overview of low birthrate countermeasure projects prepared by the government, Gyeongbuk Province, and city/counties, and is organized by fields such as matchmaking, happy childbirth, full care, safe housing, work-life balance, and gender equality, making it easy to obtain information.

Gyeongbuk Provincial Government Office

Additionally, each of the 150+ projects lists the responsible department and contact information, so residents can call anytime if they have questions.

Starting in the second half of this year, an integrated care service platform being prepared by Gyeongbuk Province will provide comprehensive guidance on care-related policies throughout the life cycle. Currently, Gyeongbuk Province is building the system and advancing the programs.

Among the key low birthrate policies that Gyeongbuk Province has prepared in response to the “Low Birthrate War Season 2,” several new initiatives are emerging.

First, newlywed couples who marry in their 20s will receive 1 million KRW to cover the cost of purchasing home appliances and furniture such as washing machines, refrigerators, and beds. A total of 300 million KRW from provincial and city/county funds will be invested, and about 300 households are expected to benefit.

Gyeongbuk Province plans to strengthen the support by gathering field opinions on beneficiary households, eligibility, and support costs to foster a social atmosphere encouraging early marriage.

Also, when giving birth in Gyeongbuk Province, families will receive a package including childbirth congratulatory goods, Donghae specialty seaweed for maternal health recovery, eco-friendly agricultural products, and books for novice moms and dads. Additionally, prenatal care trips to fishing villages and happy family trips for expectant parents will be provided.

Furthermore, Gyeongbuk Province is promoting projects to reduce the financial burden of pregnancy and childbirth, including support for male infertility treatment costs (1 million KRW per session / up to 3 sessions), medical expense support for mothers aged 35 and older (up to 500,000 KRW per pregnancy), and support for reproductive cell freezing preservation costs (2 million KRW for women, 300,000 KRW for men).

Building on last year’s establishment of community care based on whole-village participation, this year the number of emergency care centers for sick children will be expanded to 12 locations, and 24-hour daycare part-time care support will be expanded to 30 locations.

Moreover, creative centers for infants and toddlers will be operated mainly in areas lacking transportation and cultural facilities, and a small library care project that combines care and reading will be implemented in 10 cities/counties.

To alleviate the economic and childcare burdens of multi-child families, interest support for purchasing larger homes for families with three or more children will be provided (within a limit of 300 million KRW, with annual rates of 1.5% to 3.0% depending on the number of children and income level), and helpers will be supported for livestock farmers with two or more children for up to 12 days per year (120,000 KRW).

Currently, the government provides childcare leave replacement worker subsidies to employers (up to 1.2 million KRW per month for one year) to promote childcare leave. Gyeongbuk Province additionally supports replacement workers with up to 2 million KRW for six months of work to help companies easily find replacement workers.

Gyeongbuk Province is also actively working to establish a family-friendly environment that promotes work-life balance, where women can stay and work, and children are happy and respected.

Eight women-friendly cities within Gyeongbuk Province have been designated to implement specialized projects by city/county, and six child-friendly cities will carry out 11 projects including science playgrounds, visiting play buses, and children’s complex rest areas. Also, the job convenience store opened last year in Gumi will be expanded to Pohang, Yecheon, and other areas this year.

Meanwhile, Gyeongbuk Province was the first local government to declare a “Low Birthrate War” last year, investing 199.9 billion KRW in 100 major tasks, which created positive signals such as increases in births and marriages. This year, the number of tasks will increase to 150, and the budget will rise 1.8 times to 357.8 billion KRW, with plans to promptly implement policies that truly resonate on the ground.