'I'm 27 weeks pregnant — can I travel to Europe?' Expectant mothers fill prenatal wellness talk

"I'm 27 weeks pregnant and have an important business trip to Europe in two weeks. Skipping it isn't really an option for my career — what should I be careful about?"

The question came from one of the expectant mothers in the audience at the "Plus Clover Prenatal Wellness Talk," held Thursday at Hanwha General Insurance's Hannam office in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Obstetrician Ryu Ji-hyeon, one of the event's panelists, urged caution. "Weeks 12 through 25 are the most stable period," she said. "From week 28, the risk of preterm labor starts to rise." She added that if travel was unavoidable, she would recommend taking out travel insurance and bringing a cream to ease sudden abdominal tightening.

Lee Seon-young, an MBC announcer who hosted the event, said she had looked into travel insurance when planning a prenatal trip to the United States during her own pregnancy, only to find that maternity-related coverage was almost entirely absent from policy riders. "Travel insurance specifically for pregnant women is absolutely necessary," she said. Influencer Ha Eun-mi, also on the panel, agreed. "We really do need prenatal travel insurance," she said.

Standard overseas travel insurance typically excludes pregnancy- and childbirth-related losses. Prenatal travel has become an established part of Korean culture, yet expectant mothers have little insurance to fall back on. The event drew 15 pregnant women — all at least 15 weeks along — who had applied in advance, and the session became a forum where consumers themselves identified gaps in available products, covering concerns ranging from pregnancy and childbirth to career and mental health.

The talk show was a spin-off of the YouTube series "Sanjeonchoriwon," a prenatal wellness content series, brought to life as a live event by Plus Clover, Hanwha General Insurance's wellness brand for women during pregnancy, childbirth and child-rearing. The event was built around the idea that preparation before birth matters as much as postpartum care, and offered a space for candid conversation about the realities of becoming a mother.

The atmosphere was one of continuous solidarity. Lee shared her own experience of being taken off an early-morning news program as soon as she disclosed her pregnancy, under maternity protection regulations. More than half of the 15 attendees said they planned to return to work after giving birth, and audible sighs of recognition rippled through the audience. Questions kept coming — on managing gestational diabetes, on twin pregnancies — and the talk show was broadcast live online.

Im Hyeon-jae, 30, who is 17 weeks pregnant, said the concept of a prenatal wellness program was new to her. "Everyone focuses on the baby during this period, but I could feel that Hanwha General Insurance was looking out for women's lives," she said.

Ju Hui, 29, said she was moved to tears by the space and the talk. "I already have a fetal insurance policy with Hanwha General Insurance, so it meant even more to see a major insurer put together something like this," she said.

The talk show was part of "Wellness Cruise Hannam," an urban wellness and culture festival Hanwha General Insurance is hosting at its Hannam office through Sunday. The company's first wellness culture project of its kind, the festival brings together more than 30 brands — including Plus Clover — across 12 themed spaces centered on exercise, food and rest. Highlights include exercise equipment reimagined as art installations at "Yachae Gym," a local food culture class, an ondol-style sauna, and a casino-concept space where visitors can play a game built around a wellness-type test developed by Hanwha General Insurance's femtech research lab. Admission is free with no ticket required, and the venue is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. through Sunday.

Hanwha General Insurance has set "leading partner for customer wellness" as its corporate mission. The insurer has been expanding its touchpoints with female customers by pairing women-focused insurance products with offline wellness spaces.