After the government released a policy to pay an "Ai-maji allowance" of up to 20 million won per child starting in July next year, President Lee Jae-myung directed the relevant ministries to consider moving up the start date, saying, "How about implementing it from Jan. 1, 2027?"
Presiding over a Cabinet meeting on the morning of the 1st, Lee said, "With the intent that the state should shoulder more of the child-rearing burden, we decided to increase the childbirth allowance and set the reference date as July 1 next year. Then I heard people asking, 'What about those born the day before?' and 'Should we delay childbirth?'"
Earlier, the relevant ministries, including the Ministry of Planning and Budget, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Health and Welfare, released next year's youth and childbirth policies at the "Youth Budget Unboxing 2027" event chaired by Lee.
Starting July 1 2027, the government will integrate existing cash-based support, which had been split into childbirth allowances and child benefits, and pay it in installments "for one year after birth."
Specifically, it will pay 10 million won for a first child, 12 million won for a second, and 15 million won for a third or more, in cash over four installments every three months. Residents of "local priority areas" designated by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, including regions with declining populations, will receive an additional 5 million won, for a maximum of 20 million won.
Such policy implementation is expected to require an astronomical budget, and criticism is already pouring in from the field. In particular, among pregnant people expecting to give birth in the second half of next year, complaints are rising over the "policy start date."
On a moms' forum, one sarcastic post read, "If your due date is set for late June, you might have to ask the hospital if you can delay a C-section to after July."
Seemingly mindful of this, Lee said, "When a new policy is created, differences inevitably arise between those who benefit and those subject to past rules."
He added, "It seems complaints are arising over whether the difference between June 30 and July 1 is just administrative convenience. Even if system preparation is needed, how about applying it from Jan. 1 next year?"
Lee also said, "Such issues (people missing out on benefits due to the start date of a new system) exist everywhere," but asked in return, "If they are born in the same year, shouldn't we treat them the same?"
He went on, "If we change it to a Jan. 1 start, it seems we have secured enough tax revenue to increase the budget by about 250 billion won."
In response, Minister Jung Eun-kyeong of the Ministry of Health and Welfare said, "Adjusting the implementation date or adjusting the budget during the National Assembly's deliberations requires review, and the budget must be increased," urging caution.
The Minister said, "We need extensive preparation to implement it on July 1 next year as planned. A large-scale information system and preparations by local governments are necessary," adding, "We could move the start forward a bit and apply it retroactively based on birth year, and we will discuss that in the National Assembly."
Minister Park Hong-keun of the Ministry of Planning and Budget also said, "There may be an issue at the boundary of the implementation date, but if early system setup is possible, we believe we can do this through National Assembly deliberations."