The Seoul Metropolitan Government will spend 6.7 trillion won ($4.8 billion) on initiatives to boost the birthrate, from IVF fee coverage to child care facilities.
Pregnant women in Seoul will be able to avoid waiting in line at major events hosted by the city and will receive discounts at the city’s cultural and sports facilities.
Seoul's Filipino nanny program has operated for one month so far, but the pilot has been marred by disputes over low wages, curfews and unauthorized departures.
Births in July came to 20,601, jumping 7.9 percent on year for the biggest jump for the month since 2012.
The government unveiled the first proposal to raise pension contributions in nearly three decades with a plan to gradually raise the rate from 9 to 13 percent, weighted by age group.
But if our society continues making effort slowly but steadily, it will surely get better.
Seoul's new pilot program for Filipino domestic caregivers is drawing significant interest from Gangnam, possibly because its inhabitants are among the few families able to afford the higher-than-anticipated costs of hiring foreign nannies.
President Yoon Suk Yeol said regional authorities should help international students and workers find employment in Korea to mitigate local labor shortages at a meeting of local government officials in South Chungcheong on Thursday.
An average elementary school classroom may have fewer than 10 students within a decade, according to a recent report.
The Korean government will establish a new ministry to address the country's pressing demographic challenges, including low birthrates and an aging population.
Korea JoongAng Daily Sitemap
