"Proper Childbirth and Childcare Incentives Must Be Provided"
A British daily newspaper has focused on the childbirth and childcare support policies of Gwangyang City, Jeollanam-do, where the population has increased for three consecutive years.
According to Gwangyang City on the 27th, the British daily The Times introduced the childbirth case of Gwangyang citizen Park Hana (31) in an article titled "How South Korea Raised Its Birth Rate Facing Extinction Risk" published on the 22nd.
Freelance event planner Park said to the media that she was able to decide to have a child thanks to Gwangyang City's childbirth policies. She emphasized, "Gwangyang is neither famous nor flashy and is far from the sophistication of the capital Seoul," but "what stands out is the encouragement for couples to have children."
Park received support such as fertility tests, congenital defect tests, fetal care, 200,000 KRW for transportation expenses, and 1,000,000 KRW upon pregnancy confirmation, and was even able to borrow baby toys and a breast pump.
Currently raising her 10-month-old daughter, Park said, "I always wanted to have a child, but in reality, especially for freelancers, there are other issues," adding, "It would have been difficult without childbirth and marriage encouragement policies."
The population of Gwangyang City is 154,000, and it is the only city among the 22 cities and counties in Jeollanam-do to have increased its population for three consecutive years. The increases were 1,637 in 2022, 498 in 2023, and 2,026 in 2024. Last year, 880 newlywed couples got married in Gwangyang, a 26% increase compared to the previous year, and 941 babies were born, a 13% increase from the previous year.
Jung In-hwa, mayor of Gwangyang City, explained to the media, "We are facing a national extinction crisis," adding, "Having and raising children is very difficult and costly. However, if proper incentives are provided, it is a problem that can be overcome."
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