Songpa-gu raises corporate sponsorship for large families by 20%

Songpa-gu in Seoul has raised its monthly private sponsorship for large families by 20 percent — from 100,000 won ($74) to 120,000 won — to ease the burden of child-rearing costs.

The district held its 22nd "One Company, One Large Family" matching ceremony Monday at Songpa Academy on the third floor of the KT Corp Songpa Building, pairing nine local companies and organizations with 10 large families on a one-to-one basis.

The increase was designed to provide meaningful relief to large families facing rising prices and growing child-rearing costs. The support now amounts to 120,000 won per family per month, or 1.44 million won annually.

The matching program is a public-private partnership that channels voluntary corporate donations to large families to ease their financial burden and foster a birth-friendly community. It launched in 2012 and reached its 22nd edition this year.

This year's beneficiaries are 10 large families who welcomed a child between October 2025 and September 2026. Notably among those selected were three families who gave birth to a fifth child, three who had a fourth child, and one family with triplets.

Nine companies and organizations took part in the sponsorship: the Seoul Individual Taxi Association Saemaul Credit Union, the Seomgim and Naum Association, Songpa Goeunbit Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic, the National Forestry Cooperative Federation, the Songpa-gu Korean Medicine Association, the Daemyung Welfare Foundation, the Korea Health Promotion Institute's Seoul Gangnam branch, Baekje Hongsam Co. and Cheongmil Co.

Since the program began, 190 companies and organizations have taken part, delivering a combined 375 million won ($277,000) to 312 families. The initiative has established itself as a public-private model in which businesses and the community share responsibility for raising children in large families, going well beyond one-time assistance.

"This matching is a meaningful achievement showing that the community and businesses are united in supporting large families," District Mayor Seo Gang-seok said. "We will create an environment where having and raising children is easy, and pursue inclusive parenting policies to overcome the low birth rate so that the positive influence of these companies translates into a brighter future for children."

Songpa-gu is also expanding its childcare infrastructure — adding native English-language classes at daycare centers and kindergartens, enlarging play facilities and toy libraries, and operating the Songpa Kium child-care centers. The district plans to further strengthen its foundation as a birth- and child-friendly city through tailored initiatives such as "Songpa Baby Shower," which provides gift packages to new parents.