Starting immediately, any pregnant woman in Seoul can receive 700,000 won in transportation vouchers. (Image courtesy of Pixabay/CCL)
SEOUL, Mar. 17 (Korea Bizwire) –In an ambitious push to tackle South Korea’s alarmingly low birth rate, officials in Seoul announced on Sunday that they would provide transportation subsidies to all pregnant women living in the capital, regardless of how long they have been residents.
The measure, eliminating a previous six-month residency requirement, is part of the “Birth Support Seoul Project” promoted by Mayor Oh Se-hoon to encourage childbirth and support families with young children. Starting immediately, any pregnant woman in Seoul can receive 700,000 won in transportation vouchers.
The new policy covers expectant mothers from the third month of pregnancy until three months after giving birth. Vouchers will be distributed as credit card points that can be used for any form of transportation, including buses, subways, taxis, personal vehicles and trains.
“We hope this will allow all pregnant women in Seoul to travel more comfortably,” said Kim Seon-soon, deputy mayor for Women and Family Policy Affairs at the Seoul Metropolitan Government. She said officials felt compelled to remove residency criteria after realizing some expectant mothers had been ineligible for the benefit.
The transportation subsidy program began last year and has proved highly popular, according to city officials. In a survey of 7,548 recipients, 97.8 percent said they were broadly satisfied with the initiative.
Expectant mothers can apply online at the “Seoul Mom Care” website without providing additional documents, though those applying during pregnancy must first register through a government portal to confirm their status. In-person applications are accepted at local community centers.
The move represents the latest effort by Seoul to tackle a birth rate that has plunged to among the lowest levels globally, exacerbating a nationwide demographics crisis with profound economic and social implications. Last year, South Korea recorded just 0.78 births per woman.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
