On her first day, Cho Yu-jin visited a newborn ward, paid respects at the National Cemetery, signed her first official approval and held an inauguration ceremony — launching a comprehensive low birth rate strategy spanning childbirth, childcare, education and employment, including Kospi blue-chip stock grants for newborns and job-placement support for new parents.
Yeongdeungpo-gu announced that District Mayor Cho Yu-jin kicked off the ninth directly elected term by visiting the newborn ward at Yeouido's Seoul St. Mary's Hospital to celebrate new arrivals and formally launch the district's drive to achieve a total fertility rate of 1.0.
Accompanied by hospital medical staff, Cho congratulated the newborns and listened to doctors and nurses describe the challenges posed by the low birth rate and the pressures facing pediatric care. "The birth of a single child is more than joy for one family — it is the beginning of Yeongdeungpo's future," she said. "I will actively reflect the voices from the field in our policies and put in place support measures that children and parents can actually feel."
The newborn ward visit was the first stop in a packed first day that also included a visit to the National Cemetery, signing of the official handover documents, her first administrative approval — a declaration of Yeongdeungpo as a "constitutional city" — a meeting with department heads, a lunch with new staff members and her inauguration ceremony.
The central goal of the ninth term's low birth rate policy is to bring Yeongdeungpo-gu's total fertility rate to 1.0. The plan goes beyond simple childbirth incentives, aiming to build an environment in which childcare, education and employment reinforce one another and address the low birth rate at its root.
To that end, the district plans to conduct a comprehensive review of local obstetrics clinics, pediatric and childcare facilities, and care services, and to survey the difficulties faced by expectant mothers and parents directly so their concerns can feed into policy.
Leveraging Yeouido's status as a financial special zone, the district will also pursue a program to give newborns born in Yeongdeungpo Kospi blue-chip stocks, and will roll out a job-placement priority policy so parents can continue working after childbirth without career interruption.
Education will also be strengthened. With the goal of making Yeongdeungpo a district that attracts students rather than loses them, the district plans to improve foundational academic skills among youth, subsidize private tutoring costs for vulnerable families and operate the Yeongdeungpo Jiphyeonjeon program. Plans to boost public school competitiveness and cultivate top-tier high schools are also under review.
"Starting the ninth term's first steps in a newborn ward means that Yeongdeungpo's future lies with its children," Cho said. "When a child is born, we will celebrate; as they grow, we will give them solid support; and we will build the best city in South Korea for having and raising children — a place where they can pursue their dreams."
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