Seoul supports pregnant women except if they're foreign

Social Affairs

Published: 15 Jul. 2022, 16:14 Updated: 17 Jul. 2022, 16:52

Seoul supports pregnant women except if they're foreign

A sign reads, "I am an expectant mother taking a break" on the desk of an employee of Samsung Fire and Marine Insurance company in a file photo. [JOONGANG PHOTO]

A Seoul voucher program for pregnant women is coming under fire because foreigners are not eligible.

“When I see foreigners excluded from public health programs, it really irritates me,” said Debbie Kim, a 29-year-old American married to a Korean citizen who is pregnant with the couple's first child.

“I cannot speak for short-term foreigners, but long-term foreigners must pay taxes and pay into national health insurance, so it doesn’t make sense that we are excluded from these programs that we are paying for.”

The Seoul city government started giving 700,000 won ($530) vouchers to pregnant women this month for the specific purpose of helping with transportation costs. The voucher comes in the form of credit or debit card points, which can be used to pay for buses, subways, cab rides and at gas stations.

To be eligible, one must be a Seoul resident for more than six months, at least three months pregnant -- and Korean.

“The program is based on city government regulations on programs to support births and child care, and the regulation states that only Korean citizens whose residency in Seoul is at least six months long are eligible,” said a city government official working in the family policy department on Thursday.

The official added that the department has received multiple complaints from foreign residents since the program began, and are “internally reviewing” the eligibility criteria.

All foreign residents working in Korea pay income taxes, and in most cases, pension and national health service systems payments.

“So we are being forced to support a government that does not support us in return,” said Andrea Schnitzer, a 10-year resident in Korea who is expecting her first child. “Foreign residents marry and have children with Koreans, work with Koreans, and pay into social programs that benefit everyone living in Korea.”

The vouchers are the largest the city government has paid to pregnant women, according to the city government.

The money would have come in handy, said Ms. Yang, a 29-year-old stay-at-home mom in Seoul, pregnant with her second child. Yang is an American who came to Korea to teach English three years ago and met her husband in Seoul.

“When I first heard of the 700,000 won transportation subsidy for pregnant women, I was excited and relieved,” she said. “We are a one-income family and any help from the government is needed.”

She and her 16-month-old travel often via subway and bus for grocery shopping or to go to the pediatrician.

“I also found out I have complications with my current pregnancy, so I am going to a hospital that is far from my house,” she said. “The voucher would have been used a lot.”

“We decided to settle down and have children here in Korea because of my husband's job,” said Ms. Kang, an American who is expecting and has been teaching English in Korea since 2019. “We thought Korea would be a good place for our children to learn about their Korean heritage. But I'm afraid if this kind of policy continues, my half-Korean child will never feel welcomed in Korea.”

Many of these women were living in Seoul in March 2021 when the city government issued an administrative order for foreign workers residing in the city to get tested for Covid by the end of the month or face a fine up to 3 million won, which was considered discriminatory.

At the same time, the Gyeonggi provincial office issued an administrative order for all companies in the province to hire foreigners only after they showed proof of a negative Covid test.

Foreigners and ambassadors complained, and both the Seoul and Gyeonggi governments rescinded the orders within a week.

Some Korean recipients of the voucher see no problem in sharing the benefits with foreigners.

“I think the same support should be given to all families regardless of their citizenship, as long as they are paying taxes and are not illegally staying in Korea,” said Ms. Lee, who is eight months pregnant with her second child.

Korea has one of the lowest fertility rates in the world, 0.81 last year and estimated to hit 0.7 by the end of this year, according to Statistics Korea. Fertility rate indicates how many children a woman has during her lifetime on average.

Boosting the birthrate is a priority for the Health Ministry, which this year is also giving out 2 million won vouchers for every Korean child born this year.

BY ESTHER CHUNG [chung.juhee@joongang.co.kr]