About 200 pregnant women and their families invited to Seoul Mullae Youth Center on Oct. 7
District's 2025 total fertility rate stands at 0.71; event aims to protect and promote maternal welfare
Program includes a lecture by Professor Kim Tae-hee, a prenatal concert by PIK Trio, and a dad-pregnancy experience booth
Yeongdeungpo-gu will hold its 21st Pregnant Women's Day commemoration event at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Dalchon Performance Hall inside the Seoul Mullae Youth Center.
Yeongdeungpo-gu recorded 2,511 births in 2025. The Ministry of Statistics put the district's total fertility rate at 0.71, above the Seoul average of 0.63.
In response to the serious low birth rate challenge, the district has designated the fertility rate as a key indicator of livability and is pursuing a range of birth- and child-rearing-friendly policies aimed at achieving a total fertility rate of 1.0 while protecting and promoting the rights and welfare of pregnant women.
The event, timed to coincide with Pregnant Women's Day on Oct. 10, is designed to foster a birth-friendly environment in which society as a whole looks out for expectant mothers, and to build Yeongdeungpo into a place where people feel confident having and raising children.
The program opens with a lecture by Professor Kim Tae-hee, an obstetrics and gynecology specialist at Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital. Speaking on the theme of "Safe and Happy Preparation Before and After Childbirth," Kim will share practical health information — including what expectant mothers should know before delivery and how to manage physical recovery afterward — and will hold a question-and-answer session based on questions submitted in advance by participants.
A prenatal concert follows, with the all-female three-member percussion group PIK Trio taking the stage to perform warm marimba pieces. The ensemble will play familiar favorites chosen to comfort pregnant women and their families, including "Wedding March," "Salut d'Amour" and "One Fine Day in October."
The venue lobby will host a variety of experience and promotional booths. Highlights include a "Dad's First Step" booth where expectant fathers can try on a pregnancy simulation suit, a promotional booth for the Seoul Baby Health First Steps project offering one-on-one on-site consultations with infant health nurses, and a commemorative photo zone with instant photo printing.
"Protecting the rights of pregnant women and creating an environment where they can raise children with peace of mind is the first step toward overcoming the low birth rate," Yeongdeungpo-gu District Mayor Jo Yu-jin said. "We will continue to spare no effort in building Yeongdeungpo into a child-rearing-friendly city where both mothers and children can thrive."
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