Gyeonggi Gov. Choo Mi-ae said the decision to end Gyeonggi Province's postpartum care subsidy program was an unavoidable choice given fiscal conditions. She explained that within a limited budget, it was inevitable to prioritize school meals, support for people with disabilities and vulnerable groups, and fertility treatment costs for infertile couples.
Choo said on the 13th on her Facebook page, "This year's budget was allocated for only nine months from the start, and there was no money left to fill the three-month gap," adding, "We could not halt children's school meals and support for people with disabilities and vulnerable groups."
She said the executive branch held several rounds of internal discussions over whether to end the postpartum care subsidy.
She added that she accepted the executive branch's judgment that, rather than injecting additional provincial funds into projects that receive national funding like the postpartum care subsidy, it should prioritize continuing support for fertility treatment costs for infertile couples.
Choo emphasized, "Gyeonggi's finances are in a very concerning situation now," adding, "As governor, I bear a heavy responsibility to normalize the finances and am working in many ways to do so."
She added, "I will surely put Gyeonggi's finances back on the right track."
Earlier, Gyeonggi Province decided to run the postpartum care subsidy program only for applications filed this month and then end it. The expansion of similar support programs, such as the government's "first meeting voucher" and city and county childbirth grants, was also cited as a reason for ending the program.
The postpartum care subsidy is a program that provides 500,000 won per newborn to households in Gyeonggi Province via local currency. It has been operated to reduce the financial burden on households with newborns and to support health management for mothers and newborns.
Public backlash from provincial residents has continued since the decision to end the program.
As of today, 16,900 people have joined a petition titled "Oppose the sudden abolition of Gyeonggi's postpartum care subsidy," posted on the Gyeonggi Province petition website on the 9th.
If more than 10,000 people agree on Gyeonggi Province petitions, the governor must provide an official answer. Attention is therefore on what position Choo will present on the petition going forward.