Buyeo County to Provide 10 Million Won per Child at Birth, First in the Nation

Buyeo County in South Chungcheong Province will completely overhaul its childbirth incentive system and, for the first time in the country, introduce a "Childbirth and Childcare Support Fund" that provides up to 10 million won per child, regardless of birth order, to address the issue of low birth rates.

According to the county on May 2, the previous system provided different amounts depending on birth order?500,000 won for the first child, 2 million won for the second, and 5 million won for the third. However, under the revised system, all children will receive the same amount.

The support is available to children aged 0 to 8 who are registered residents of Buyeo County. An initial lump sum of 500,000 won is paid immediately after birth, and then 100,000 won is paid monthly in the form of the local currency, Goodtrae Pay, for a total of 95 months until the child reaches 8 years and 10 months old. The total maximum support per child is 10 million won.

To implement this system, the county is amending the "Buyeo County Ordinance on Support for Population Increase," and is conducting a legislative notice period from April 24 to May 14.

After the ordinance is amended, the county will quickly establish the necessary systems and plans to implement the new policy in the second half of the year.

To minimize confusion caused by the changes, the county will apply the previous childbirth incentive for one year as a grace period for pregnant women and those expecting to give birth.

This policy revision is a response to the continued decline in the birth rate in Buyeo County.

The county's total fertility rate was 0.54 in 2023 and 0.66 in 2024, ranking the lowest among the 15 cities and counties in South Chungcheong Province for two consecutive years. Buyeo County is currently classified as a depopulation area.

A county official stated, "This Childbirth and Childcare Support Fund is not just a policy to increase the number of children, but the most advanced population policy in the country that invests in the time and lives of each individual child. The county will take the lead in making Buyeo not only a city where it is good to give birth, but also a place where it is good to raise children."