A recent government report has revealed significant disparities in the availability and cost of postpartum care centers across South Korea. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Sept. 26 (Korea Bizwire) – A recent government report has revealed significant disparities in the availability and cost of postpartum care centers across South Korea, highlighting concerns about equitable access to maternal health services.
According to data obtained by Democratic Party lawmaker Park Hee-seung from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, over half of the country’s postpartum care centers are concentrated in Seoul and the surrounding Gyeonggi Province.
This concentration leaves many other regions underserved, with some local districts completely lacking such facilities.
As of the end of last year, South Korea had 456 postpartum care centers, including 436 private and 20 public facilities. Gyeonggi Province alone accounted for 31.8% of these centers, while Seoul hosted 24.6%, together comprising 56.4% of the national total.
The disparity becomes more pronounced in rural areas. In North Chungcheong Province, 9 out of 11 cities and counties have no postpartum care centers.
Similarly, in North Jeolla Province, 11 out of 14 local districts lack these facilities. Both North Gyeongsang and South Jeolla provinces report 14 out of 22 districts without any centers.
Pricing for these services varies dramatically across the country. The most expensive private center, located in Seoul’s affluent Gangnam district, charges 17 million won for a two-week stay in a standard room.
In contrast, the most affordable option in North Chungcheong Province costs 1.3 million won for the same period, a more than tenfold difference.
Seoul maintains the highest average price at 4.33 million won, followed by Gwangju at 3.7 million won. North Jeolla Province offers the lowest average rate at 2.01 million won.
The report also noted significant price increases since 2019, with Gwangju seeing the steepest rise of 64.4% over four years.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
