Buan County Selected as “Outstanding Institution for Maternal and Child Health Projects” for Second Consecutive Year

Customized Policies Bear Fruit, Including the Nation's First Fetal Insurance

Jeonbuk Buan County Office View. Provided by Jeonbuk Buan County

Buan County in Jeonbuk has demonstrated the excellence of its pregnancy and childbirth support system by being selected for the second consecutive year as an “Outstanding Institution for Maternal and Child Health Projects,” based on its differentiated birth policies, including the nation’s first fetal insurance support.

According to Buan County on January 6, this recognition follows the county’s receipt of the Minister’s Award for Outstanding Maternal and Child Health Institution in 2024, and is the result of cumulative efforts that go beyond short-term achievements. These efforts include on-the-ground, experience-based policies tailored to local conditions and health promotion projects across all life stages. The county has actively incorporated residents’ feedback into program design and focused on eliminating blind spots by providing proactive, step-by-step guidance and customized support for multicultural families.

In particular, this year, the county enhanced its safety net to minimize support gaps by launching three new projects and expanding three existing ones.

Key initiatives include: ▲ the nation’s first “Buan-type” fetal insurance support (covering 80% of insurance premiums, up to 100,000 KRW per month); ▲ providing 1 million KRW in Buan Love Gift Certificates to each pregnant woman; and ▲ free pertussis vaccinations for pregnant women and their spouses.

Additionally, the county has eased the financial burden on families by expanding support for diapers and formula for low-income households to include firstborn children (up to 200,000 KRW per month), increasing postpartum care expense support (to 1.3 million KRW), and extending the period for subsidizing out-of-pocket costs for maternal and newborn health management. For multicultural families, multilingual informational materials and interpretation-linked programs have been introduced to improve access to information.

The county is also striving to foster a childbirth-friendly social atmosphere by promoting these initiatives through various channels, including local events and social media.

A Buan County official stated, “This achievement reflects our comprehensive support throughout the entire process from pregnancy to postpartum, based on on-site demand. We will further strengthen our medical and care safety nets to make Buan a better place to have and raise children.”