Aftermath of Gyeonggi Province Halting Postnatal Care Subsidies... Cities and Counties Consider Independent Support

Following Gyeonggi Province's decision to suspend its postnatal care subsidy program at the end of this month due to financial difficulties, frontline cities and counties are reportedly reviewing plans to continue the program using their own budgets.

The postnatal care subsidy program provides 500,000 won worth of local currency to childbirth households, with the budget shared equally between the provincial government and local municipalities.

Governor Choo Mi-ae recently decided to suspend the program at the end of this month, citing that the budget for the program was initially allocated for only nine months and that there are no financial resources to cover the remaining three months due to fiscal constraints.

In response, as complaints from childbirth households continue, local cities and counties are considering maintaining the program with their own budgets as a last resort.

Hwaseong is currently arranging a plan to fully support postnatal care expenses for childbirth households in the fourth quarter (October–December) of this year using city funds.

A leading plan under review is to first reflect the fourth-quarter postnatal care subsidy budget in next year's main budget and then retroactively provide support to the affected households early next year.

The city estimates that the number of newborns in its jurisdiction will exceed 10,000 this year, putting the fourth-quarter postnatal care subsidy budget at approximately 1.5 billion won.

However, such retroactive support plans must go through the city council's deliberation on the main budget at the end of the year to be finalized.

An official from Hwaseong said, "Next year, childbirth households will receive more support, but childbirth households in the fourth quarter of this year will miss out on those benefits as well as the 500,000 won postnatal care subsidy," adding, "Considering equity, we are exploring various ways to ensure that fourth-quarter childbirth households also receive postnatal care subsidies."

Siheung, Uiwang, and Seongnam plan to maintain their existing independent city-funded programs providing 500,000 won in postnatal care subsidies—separate from the provincial government-led program—to minimize the welfare gap felt by citizens.

Siheung and Uiwang provide 500,000 won to childbirth households registered within their jurisdictions, while Seongnam provides 500,000 won to childbirth households with median incomes of 80% or less.

Pyeongtaek has decided to provide postnatal care subsidies using its own budget starting next year and is preparing to enact the Pyeongtaek City Postnatal Care Subsidy Support Ordinance to establish a legal basis.

This program was originally designed for the city to provide an additional 100,000 won worth of local currency on top of the provincial subsidies, but with the termination of the provincial support program, the scale of the city's subsidies may be partially adjusted.

Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, also plans to provide postnatal care subsidies of 500,000 won per person to childbirth households residing in the city starting next year, provided that the Ordinance on Expanding Pregnancy and Childbirth Support currently undergoing legislative notice is finalized.

However, in the case of Pyeongtaek and Gwangju, even if the ordinances pass without issues, support will only begin next year, meaning childbirth households in the fourth quarter of this year will inevitably be excluded from the benefits.

An official from a local government in the province said, "Gyeonggi Province has halted or adjusted the budget-sharing ratio to 3-to-7 for four maternal and child health programs, including not only postnatal care subsidies but also the mother and newborn health care support program (postpartum helpers), medical expense support for suspended infertility treatments, and Gyeonggi Province's frozen oocyte treatment cost support, placing an excessive budget burden on cities and counties," adding, "Citizens' complaint calls are flooding into each city and county public health center."

Another local government official explained, "Since support budgets are being abruptly cut within the fiscal year, we are exploring various ways to rescue childbirth households giving birth between October and December," but noted, "Realistically, it is not easy to formulate a short-term budget and provide support at the end of the year."

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.