[Letters] More subsidies for working mothers

Regarding your June 16 editorial, “Losing our productive people,” I think that population is strongly associated with the growth of national power. As a Korean citizen, I am worried about how demographic shifts will impact the future of Korea, considering our declining population.

In Korea, it costs a lot of money to support a child. Therefore, many working women are unwilling to have a baby because of their financial situations.

In other advanced countries such as France, working mothers can get much support from the government. For example, the French government provides a childbirth grant and pays for medical expenses when a baby is born. In addition, there are a lot of nurseries supported by the government. Working mothers can focus on their work and are not too worried about the number of children.

However, the situation in Korea is very different. The Korean government says it is planning to support working mothers in many ways, but it is not enough. We need more subsidies for working mothers for the future of Korea. Furthermore, companies should be also equipped with facilities for pregnant employees.

Yuhan-Kimberly is one of the most convenient workplaces for pregnant women. The company provides not only a comfortable lounge, but also good services like flexible working hours in the morning and free maternity/paternity leave. Other companies also need to follow suit and provide a workable system for dual-career parents. Childcare is not only for mothers. Fathers, companies, government and society are all responsible.

Kwon Ji-in, a resident in Seoul