On the afternoon of the 4th, the governor of North Chungcheong Province, Kim Young-hwan, will hold a press conference in the meeting room of the Chungbuk provincial office on the statistical results of the “national only increase in the number of births”, published by the Ministry of Health. Public Administration and Security./Chungbuk Province
Despite implementing measures to support the low birth rate, the number of births decreased nationwide, and North Chungcheong Province was the only province where the number of births increased. It is analyzed that this is because Northern Chungcheong Province’s bold and proactive policies have proven effective.
According to resident registration statistics from the Ministry of Interior and Security, on the 4th, the number of birth registrations in North Chungcheong Province last year was 7,693, an increase of 1.5% over the previous year , the only increase among the 17 provinces and cities.
Last year, the number of birth registrations nationwide was 235,039, a notable figure compared to a decline of 7.7% (19,589) from the previous year. Looking at the ranking of change rates by city and province, Chungbuk is in first place with 1.5%, followed by Jeonnam with -1.2% and Incheon with -6.0%.
Among cities and counties in North Chungcheong Province, Jeungpyeong recorded the highest increase at 34.8 percent, followed by Jecheon at 10 percent, Danyang at 5 percent, Chungju at 3.9 percent, and Cheongju at 2 percent. 6%. The remaining cities and counties all declined.
Thanks to this increase in the number of births, the population of North Chungcheong Province increased, reaching 1,642,613 at the end of October last year.
The province is the only country to consider its bold pro-pregnancy and childbirth policies as the reason for the rising number of births.
This year, North Chungcheong Province established a population department and created a task force (TF) for population crisis response. With the aim of achieving a 10% birth rate, we started exploring new activities and introduced various policies.
Following the introduction of maternity and childcare benefits last May, several projects are underway, including support for egg freezing procedures, the operation of an emergency room dedicated to pregnant women and support to ecological agricultural products for pregnant women.
◇Effective courageous and proactive policies
Jang Ki-bong, director of population and youth policies, believes that “continuous, unconventional and impactful projects, such as the payment of 10 million won in maternity and child care benefits, have been effective in ‘increase the number of births’.
The maternity and child care allowance introduced by North Chungcheong Province is unprecedented compared to other regions. 10 million won per child over 5 years is provided. Each year, 3 million won will be provided for children born in 2023, 1 million won for 1-year-olds, and 2 million won for children aged 2 to 4 years.
However, starting this year, the application method will be slightly different to avoid duplication of parents’ salaries. There is no support for children aged 0, but each year 1 million won is provided for children aged 1, 2 million won for children aged 2 to 5, and 1 million won for children aged 6 years.
North Chungcheong province has also introduced a policy to help infertile couples. The income standard for subsidy for infertility treatment costs was abolished and support was extended to all infertile couples in the province. Diagnostic test fees for infertile couples are paid up to 200,000 won, and home service costs are incurred up to 200,000 won until recovery after the procedure.
In North Chungcheong Province, 809 cases (32.1%) out of 2,050 infertility procedures resulted in a successful pregnancy last year. Considering that the total number of births in the province last year was 7,456, this figure is equivalent to 10%.
The province of North Chungcheong has also promoted, for the first time in the country, a project to cover the costs of egg freezing procedures. Egg freezing is a procedure in which a woman receives eggs ahead of time, stores them in an obstetrics and gynecology egg bank, and uses them when she needs to get pregnant, such as for marriage.
With the increase in the age of first marriage and the increase in women’s economic activities, the number of egg freezing procedures increases, so it is believed that it will be effective in population policy. The egg freezing procedure usually costs 4 million won, of which the provincial government provides up to 2 million won.
◇Expansion of projects to support low birth rates, such as half-price apartments
On the 4th the province also announced that it will promote the “half-price apartment” project to solve the housing problem, which is the main cause of the decline in the birth rate. This is a type of housing in which the land is publicly owned and the buildings on the land are purchased by private individuals.
The province plans to use unused provincial land. He explained that he plans to start concrete work soon, including drawing up a business plan and securing the land.
We also plan to launch interest-free loan support projects through financial institutions to support childbirth and childcare. Furthermore, we intend to promote the so-called “preferential lane for pregnant women”, such as priority counters for pregnant women, dedicated parking and free and discounted use of the facilities of public institutions.
Furthermore, the province announced that it will implement new measures such as abolishing the income limit for infertility treatment expenses, supporting pre-pregnancy healthcare, expanding support for infertility treatment expenses egg freezing, support for postpartum care expenses for pregnant women, support for transportation expenses for pregnant women in county areas and support for antenatal travel packages for pregnant women.
Kim Young-hwan, governor of North Chungcheong Province, said: “It is a significant achievement that the number of births increased for the only time in the country. We will use this year as the first year of increasing the number of births, and we will guide the population policy of the Republic of Korea by pursuing a bold Chungbuk-style low birth rate project.”
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