Kim Hye-kyung Says "It Takes an Entire Nation to Raise a Child Now" During Visit to Regional Maternal and Child Medical Center

First Lady Kim Hye-kyung, wife of President Lee Jae-myung, visited the Regional Maternal and Child Medical Center at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital and said, "People used to say 'it takes a village to raise a child,' but now it seems the entire country is needed, not just a village."

On the morning of October 19, First Lady Kim visited the Catholic University of Korea Seoul St. Mary's Hospital Regional Maternal and Child Medical Center in Seocho-gu, Seoul, where she met with medical staff, pregnant women, and mothers to hear firsthand experiences regarding pregnancy, childbirth, and premature infant care.

Blue House Deputy Spokesperson Ahn Gwi-ryeong said the visit was arranged on the occasion of Pregnant Women's Day on October 10 to encourage families with newborns and front-line healthcare workers, and to directly listen to the difficulties and field voices throughout the process of welcoming a new life—from infertility treatments to high-risk pregnancies, childbirth, and the care of premature infants.


Kim met with healthcare workers in the patient wards and the high-risk maternal intensive care unit to express her gratitude. She also held a meeting with parents of quintuplets, mothers who gave birth through fertility procedures, expectant mothers experiencing high-risk pregnancies, and parents of infants receiving treatment in the neonatal intensive care unit to listen to their experiences and difficulties during childbirth and childcare.

During the meeting, Kim said, "A child being born healthy and growing up is both a blessing to a family and the most precious future for our entire society," adding, "I will always pay close attention and offer support so that the entire journey of waiting for, giving birth to, and raising a child does not become a lonely and difficult burden borne by families alone."

Earlier, on October 14 at the Population Strategy Vision Declaration Ceremony, President Lee Jae-myung emphasized that the government must do its part so that the recent rebound in the number of newborns and the growing willingness to have children can continue.

(Photo: Cheong Wa Dae Press Corps, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.