Yangju City Strengthens 'Birth-Friendly Environment'... Comprehensive Support from Pregnancy to Postpartum Care

Support for Essential Fertility Examinations for Men and Women Aged 20 to 49
From April, One-Time Coverage for One-Year Sperm and Egg Freezing
Up to 300,000 KRW for Men and 2,000,000 KRW for Women

This year, Yangju City in Gyeonggi Province is expanding continuous support from the pregnancy preparation stage to postpartum recovery, creating a birth-friendly environment.

A view of Yangju City Hall. Provided by Yangju City.

According to Yangju City on the 18th, first, the city supports essential fertility examination costs for all men and women of childbearing age between 20 and 49, and starting from April, it will provide a one-time cost coverage for freezing sperm or eggs for one year in cases where permanent infertility is a concern.

Men can receive up to 300,000 KRW, and women can receive up to 2,000,000 KRW.

Benefits for infertile couples have also been significantly expanded.

Previously, support for infertility treatment costs was applied differentially based on income criteria, but from this year, anyone can receive support regardless of income, and the number of supported treatments has increased from 21 to 25 times.

In particular, if treatment must be stopped for health reasons, up to 500,000 KRW will be supported without any limit on the number of times, aiming to reduce the actual burden.

During pregnancy, essential supplements such as folic acid and iron tablets are provided to help maintain fetal health.

For mothers diagnosed with any of the 19 high-risk pregnancy conditions, 90% of non-covered medical expenses up to 3,000,000 KRW will be supported, and for adolescent mothers, up to 1,200,000 KRW per case will be provided, including pregnancy and childbirth-related medical expenses, medication, and treatment material costs.

After childbirth, the validity period for maternal and newborn health care service support has been extended from the previous 60 days to 90 days, providing more generous benefits.

Additionally, through Gyeonggi Province’s postpartum care cost support, 500,000 KRW per newborn is paid in local currency, and starting from newborns born after January 1, 2025, Yangju City will provide an additional postpartum care cost support of up to 500,000 KRW.

This support fund can be used for postpartum care center fees and maternal and newborn health care service costs, expected to alleviate the economic burden on families giving birth.

Moreover, detailed customized policies have been prepared, including support for medical expenses for congenital premature infants, congenital hearing loss screening and hearing aid support, diaper and formula milk support, and detailed developmental examination costs for infants and young children.

A Yangju City official said, “We will do our best to ensure that citizens can prepare for healthy childbirth with peace of mind through seamless support from the moment they prepare for pregnancy until after childbirth.”