2024-03-25 17:22:00
The birth rate in Seoul last year was 0.55, with one newborn born in every two households. If this trend continues, there will soon be a risk of the city becoming a city with no newborn births. Accordingly, the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Metropolitan Council are working hard to increase the birth rate, which has fallen to the lowest level in the country, by pouring out various unconventional policies.
According to Statistics Korea on the 13th, the total birth rate in Seoul last year was 0.55, the lowest among 17 cities and provinces in the country. In particular, the total birth rate of all 25 autonomous districts in Seoul fell below 0.7, and among them, Gwanak-gu in Seoul had the lowest annual birth rate last year at 0.38, following Jung-gu in Busan (0.31). In addition, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul (0.45 people) and Gangbuk-gu and Mapo-gu (0.48 people) also fell far below the average.
‘Increasing the birth rate’ is already one of Seoul City’s key tasks. Since taking office in the 8th popular election, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon has focused on policies to increase the birth rate and has been implementing unconventional policies day after day.
The ‘Mom and Dad Happiness Project’ is a representative example. The policy of abolishing the income standard (180% of median income) and the limit on the number of procedures for infertility treatment expenses for infertile couples who are willing to have a child received great response from existing infertile couples. Policies such as the ‘Multiple Child Support Plan’, which relaxed the standard for multiple children from 3 to 2, and support for postpartum care expenses were also well received by citizens.
However, as the birth rate did not rebound despite these policies, the city recently announced the ‘Birth Support Seoul Project’, an upgraded version of the ‘Mom and Dad Happiness Project’. It is an ‘extension’ concept of the ‘Mom and Dad Happiness Project’ that contains a strong will to overcome low birth rates. While the ‘Mom and Dad Happiness Project’ focused on caregivers, the ‘Birth Support Seoul Project’ also includes prospective caregivers such as young people, newlyweds, and infertile couples. The key is to provide all-round support not only for childbirth, childcare, and care, but also for fundamental issues such as housing, work, life, and balance.
First, the city completely abolished the ‘period of residence’ and ‘differential requirements by age’ for support of infertility treatment expenses in accordance with the ‘Birth Support Seoul Project’. The six-month residency requirement in Seoul was boldly removed, allowing those living in Seoul as of the date of application to receive support for treatment costs, while the age-specific requirements that had been differentially paid based on age 45 were completely abolished, literally throwing a bet on increasing the birth rate.
The Seoul City Council is also following this trend. The Seoul City Council recently passed a bill allowing pregnant women living in Seoul to receive support for transportation expenses regardless of their period of residence. The ‘Full Amendment Ordinance on Support for Overcoming Infertility’ was also passed, which expanded the scope of infertility support to include psychological counseling and miscarriage and stillbirth prevention education for couples who have experienced miscarriage or stillbirth.
The city council has been raising its voice to overcome low birth rates since the beginning of this year, proposing a ‘Seoul-type model to overcome low birth rates’ in January, which focuses on abolishing the income standard in all birth rate policies. In relation to this, City Council Chairman Kim Hyun-ki said in his opening speech at a special meeting last February, “If we can only increase the birth rate, it is not time to compare black cats and white cats. A change in thinking that is urgent, earnest, and cost-effective is required.”
Reporter Kim Jeong-hyeon Photo News 1
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2024-03-25 17:22:00