"A livable city is one where it is easy to have and raise children."
Yeongdeungpo-gu District Mayor Cho Yu-jin made the remark as she announced an expansion of the district's fertility treatment support project, aimed at easing the financial burden on couples hoping to conceive and helping them achieve healthy pregnancies.
Amid growing concern over the country's low birth rate as a pressing social challenge, the district said it would broaden practical support that infertile families can actually feel, with the goal of building a birth-friendly environment.
The district has eliminated its existing income threshold so that all infertile couples who need support can benefit regardless of income level. The number of supported cycles has also been expanded from 22 per household to 25 per birth cycle, meaning couples preparing for a second pregnancy after their first child are eligible for the same level of support. Medical costs will also be covered when a procedure is interrupted for physical reasons, such as an empty follicle or immature egg retrieval.
For in vitro fertilization, fresh embryo transfers are covered up to 1.1 million won ($784) per cycle, frozen embryo transfers up to 500,000 won per cycle, and intrauterine insemination up to 300,000 won per cycle. All infertile couples with a registered address in Yeongdeungpo-gu are eligible, including common-law couples.
Couples wishing to apply can do so online through the Government24 portal or the Public Health Portal (e-Health Center), or in person at the Yeongdeungpo-gu public health center. Further details on required documents and other considerations are available on the Yeongdeungpo Public Health Center website under the project information board.
In addition to fertility treatment support, Yeongdeungpo-gu operates a range of maternal and child health programs spanning pregnancy preparation through birth and child-rearing — including pre-pregnancy health checkups for prospective couples, prenatal testing and nutritional supplement support for expectant mothers, and medical cost support for high-risk pregnancies.
"A livable city is one where it is easy to have and raise children," District Mayor Cho said. "We will do our utmost to uphold human dignity and value at every stage — pregnancy and childbirth, care and education, residential life and welfare."
Residents can share anything related to Yeongdeungpo-gu — from everyday inconveniences and policy suggestions to ideas — directly with the district mayor through the dedicated public communication hotline.
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
