Up to 500,000 Won Annually for Children Under 18
New Program Launching in 2026
Naju City in South Jeolla Province will launch a new program in 2026 to provide transportation cost support for families of children who require long-term treatment for severe and rare diseases, aiming to ease their financial burden.
On December 22, Naju City announced that the initiative was established to alleviate the transportation expenses incurred by children suffering from cancer, rare diseases, and other severe or intractable illnesses who must travel outside the region, including to the Seoul metropolitan area, for specialized medical care. The program also aims to ensure a stable treatment environment for these children.
The support is available to children under the age of 18 who are registered residents of Naju City as of the date of treatment. Eligible applicants are those diagnosed with conditions covered by the special calculation exception and who receive treatment at medical institutions outside Naju.
The support amount is 100,000 won per visit for treatment in the Seoul metropolitan area (Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi Province), and 70,000 won per visit for other regions outside Naju. The annual maximum support is capped at 500,000 won per child.
Applications can be submitted for treatments received on or after January 1, 2026. The child's legal guardian must apply at the Naju City Public Health Center within six months of the treatment date, providing the required documents such as a medical certificate or doctor's note and a receipt for medical expenses.
For further details, inquiries can be directed to the Health Promotion Division of the Naju City Public Health Center.
Kang Yonggon, Director of the Public Health Center, stated, "For children with severe and rare diseases, traveling outside the region for treatment is often unavoidable, and the cost of transportation poses a significant challenge during the treatment process. Through this support program, we will continue to provide comprehensive health and welfare assistance so that children and their guardians can focus on treatment without financial concerns."
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