Gyeonggi Province scraps postpartum care subsidy; Choo Mi-ae calls it 'unavoidable'

Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae said Sunday that the decision to scrap a 500,000-won ($374) postpartum care subsidy for new parents was "unavoidable."

Choo posted on social media that day, saying the province's budget had been drawn up to cover only nine months from the start and that no funds remained to fill the three-month gap. "We could not halt school meals or support for people with disabilities and vulnerable groups," she wrote, adding that the matter had been discussed multiple times within the administration.

She said the administration had recommended prioritizing support for infertility treatment costs — which, under the original budget, were also set to run out in September — over adding provincial funds to programs such as the postpartum care subsidy that already receive some central government funding. She said she accepted that recommendation.

Choo said the province's fiscal situation was "very worrying" and that she felt a heavy responsibility as governor to restore financial stability. "I will put Gyeonggi Province's finances back on track," she said.

Gyeonggi Province had earlier decided to end the postpartum care subsidy program with applications accepted through this month, citing the expansion and entrenchment of similar support systems — including the central government's "First Meeting Voucher" and birth support grants offered by individual cities and counties.

The program had provided 500,000 won in local currency per newborn to families living in Gyeonggi Province, aimed at easing the financial burden on new parents and protecting the health of mothers and newborns.

Residents have pushed back against the decision through the province's official petition website.

A petition titled "Against the abrupt abolition of Gyeonggi Province's postpartum care subsidy," posted Wednesday, had drawn about 16,900 signatures. Under provincial rules, the governor must issue an official response once a petition surpasses 10,000 signatures.