Busan gifts newborns their birth weight in locally grown rice

Busan's Agricultural Technology Center announced Monday it will hold an event called "Raising Children on Busan Rice" to celebrate the births of babies born in the city and to promote the quality of locally grown rice.

The city will give the first 200 qualifying applicants a package of Busan-grown rice equal in weight to their newborn's birth weight. Eligible children must have been born in 2026, and their guardians must be Busan residents at the time of application.

Families wishing to participate may apply online from Monday through Oct. 23.

Applicants must submit a birth certificate confirming the baby's birth weight, along with documents verifying Busan residency and family relations. The city asked that unnecessary personal information — including the second half of the resident registration number and medical details — be redacted before submission. Families with twins or other multiple births may submit a separate application for each child.

The city will accept the first 200 applicants whose eligibility and documents have been verified. Each qualifying newborn will receive a custom-measured and packaged portion of this year's freshly harvested Hwanggeumyechan rice, grown in Busan, with the weight matched to the birth certificate figure. Deliveries to applicant households will run in sequence from Oct. 28 through Nov. 4. The packaging will display the baby's birth weight and information about Busan rice, adding to the celebratory nature of the gift.

In addition, three to five participating families will be invited to a rice-presentation ceremony at the 39th Busan Farmers' Day event, to be held Oct. 28 at the lawn of Daejeo Ecological Park.