Boryeong Community Health Center (Image courtesy of Boryeong City)
BORYEONG, Apr. 30 (Korea Bizwire) – In an effort to increase the city’s birthrate, officials in Boryeong, a coastal municipality in South Chungcheong Province, announced on April 29 that they would subsidize frozen egg fertility treatments for couples trying to conceive.
The program will cover the costs of thawing frozen eggs and in vitro fertilization using fresh embryos created from those eggs. Couples, including those in common-law marriages, will be eligible for up to two subsidized treatments, receiving up to 1 million won per treatment cycle.
To receive the subsidy, couples must visit a community health center after completing their frozen egg fertility treatment and submit an application.
“We will actively support couples who desire children to alleviate their financial burdens and provide substantive assistance throughout the pregnancy and childbirth process,” said Jeon Kyung-hee, the director of the Boryeong Community Health Center.
Boryeong’s fertility subsidy program underscores concerns across South Korea about declining birthrates. The country’s total fertility rate — the expected number of children per woman — fell to a record low of 0.72 in 2023, far below the replacement level of 2.1 needed to maintain a stable population size.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
