Gyeonggi Province has ended its program providing 500,000 won in postpartum care support, and Governor Chu Mi-ae described the move as an unavoidable choice, according to 연합뉴스TV. The broadcaster reported the decision on Sunday, September 13, 2026.
Chu attributed the program's termination to the province's budget situation, 연합뉴스TV reports. The governor's office has declared what Korean outlets describe as a "fiscal emergency," a framing that 동아일보 reports has hit families with newborns hard.
The subsidy's removal has drawn public pushback. 동아일보 reports that a petition opposing the cancellation has been filed. 경기일보 reports that the rollback extends beyond postpartum care, with a childcare allowance also being reduced, and that the changes have stirred anger among parents and workers in the childbirth and childcare sectors.
According to 뉴시스, Chu said the postpartum care support is ending because of unavoidable budget circumstances. The province has not indicated in the reporting summarized here how the saved funds will be used or whether any replacement support is planned.
Coverage of the province's welfare reductions is continuing, and the response from families and advocacy groups will be the next point to watch.