Event set for Friday at Yeoksam 1-dong Cultural Center features photo zones, a pop-opera performance and prenatal and postnatal mental health lecture
Pregnant women, families and expectant parents — first 200 to register receive a celebratory gift set
Gangnam-gu will hold its 21st Pregnant Women's Day commemorative event Friday at 4 p.m. at Gangnam Theatre on the third floor of the Yeoksam 1-dong Cultural Center.
Pregnant Women's Day falls on Oct. 10 each year, a statutory holiday established to symbolize the 10 months of pregnancy and October as a month of abundance.
The district holds the annual event to celebrate pregnant women and their families and to build broader social awareness around creating a healthy environment for childbirth and child-rearing.
This year's event will provide a celebratory pregnancy gift set to all attendees and operate a photo zone where families can create lasting memories. The Gangnam-gu Public Health Center's maternal and child health team, the Gangnam-gu Mental Health Welfare Center and the Gangnam-gu Comprehensive Childcare Support Center will jointly run an information booth offering guidance on pregnancy, childbirth and parenting projects and support services in one place.
A special lecture on prenatal and postnatal mental health will also be held. Seok Jeong-ho, a psychiatry professor at Gangnam Severance Hospital and former director of the Seoul Regional Infertility and Pregnant Women's Psychological Counseling Center, will share strategies for managing mental health from pregnancy through the first year after birth, along with tips on building early-life attachment.
A celebratory performance by pop-opera group Mokil will follow, offering a special treat for pregnant women and families in attendance.
The event is open to 200 pregnant women, family members and expectant parents on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration has been available through the Gangnam-gu Public Health Center website since Sept. 18. For more information, contact the Gangnam-gu District Office's health management division.
The district partnered with Seoul Metro on Tuesday at Hakdong Station on subway Line 7 to run a campaign aimed at improving public awareness around childbirth support and fostering a culture of consideration for pregnant passengers. The event sought to promote positive perceptions of childbirth and parenting as part of efforts to address the low birth rate and to encourage a more accommodating environment for pregnant women.
Gangnam-gu District Mayor Kim Hyun-ki said the district is the only one among Seoul's 25 to have recorded three consecutive years of growth in the number of births, and that births in the first half of this year rose 13.2 percent compared with the same period last year. "We hope Pregnant Women's Day will be a meaningful occasion for pregnant women and their families to envision a happy future," Kim said. "We will continue to expand practical support for creating a healthy childbirth and parenting environment."
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