People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok said at an on-site roundtable hosted by the Mom-friendly Special Committee on the 17th, "Raising children is not only a family's responsibility but something the state must also consider, and it has become the state's responsibility," adding, "We will work to fully reflect today's urgent voices and push them through to institutional improvements."
At the roundtable held in Mapo District, Seoul, in the afternoon, leader Jang and others, including Chairperson Kim Min-jeon, took part to hear about the difficulties of couples facing infertility, newlyweds, and parents of infants and toddlers.
One attendee who said they had undergone more than 40 rounds of in vitro fertilization said, "Because the number of subsidized procedures varies by local government, de facto regional discrimination is occurring," and added, "Recently, there have even been cases of 'IVF migration,' moving to areas where surgical cost support is unlimited." The attendee continued, "Couples facing infertility are also living on borrowed time until menopause. Please abolish the cap on the number of subsidized procedures in Seoul as well."
A representative of an infertility group said, "Because the number of subsidized procedures is currently capped, once it ends, people are effectively forced to give up treatment," and added, "At least until the first child, attempts should be allowed without limits on the number of procedures." The representative went on, "Not a few give up treatment due to the burden of time and expense. We also need better access to hospitals and improvements to working conditions."
An attendee who introduced himself as a newlywed raised concerns about the effectiveness of the policies. The attendee said, "The reason men's parental leave has not become widespread is not only restrictions by corporations but also, given the characteristics of certain industries, the significant risk of career breaks," and added, "Rather than simply encouraging people to take parental leave, we need differentiated support that accounts for the characteristics of each job category."
The attendee also said, "Young people are not avoiding childbirth because of a lack of incentives for pregnancy and childbirth; housing stability is the more important issue," and added, "As the government has recently repeated past real estate policies, jeonse options are disappearing and monthly rents are rising, increasing the burden."
Leader Jang said, "This on-site roundtable is not a showy event ahead of an election but a process to continuously develop policy," and added, "Regarding the points you raised, we will actively push related legislation through the committee."