Article 1 (Purpose) The purpose of this Ordinance is to prescribe the matters necessary to create a social environment favorable to childbirth and childrearing and to ensure future growth engines under the Framework Act on Low Birth Rates in an Aging Society, thereby instilling social responsibility for childbirth and childrearing and contributing to sustained social development and a better quality of life for Seoul’s citizens.

Article 2 (Definition) The definitions of the terms used in this Ordinance shall be as follows:<Amended on May 3, 2018; Jan. 9, 2020; Jul. 18, 2023; Dec. 29, 2023; Jan. 1, 2025; Jul. 14, 2025>
1. "Support for childbirth and childrearing" refers to policies, etc. that are formulated and implemented in order to raise awareness of the social importance of childbirth and childrearing, and to support childbirth and childrearing.
2. "Multi-child family" refers to a family composed of a couple that is rearing at least two children whom they have either given birth to or adopted: Provided, however, that at least one of the children is 18 years old or younger.
3. "Low birth rate awareness-raising policy" refers to projects, events, public relations, etc. conducted jointly or individually by the private sector, public sector, or academia to create a social environment that is favorable to childbirth and childrearing.
4. "Dadungi Happiness Card" refers to a preferential treatment card for multi-child families registered as residents of Seoul City.
5. "Birth celebration item" refers to an item that is provided to celebrate the birth of a child.
6. "Eligible child" refers to a child newly registered on a resident registration record card due to such reasons as “birth” by the head of the Dong with jurisdiction over the place of resident registration in Seoul Metropolitan City, or the child of a mother or father registered as a resident in an autonomous Gu in Seoul Metropolitan City who has submitted an application for birth celebration items with the due date entered.
7. "Protector" refers to a custodian, guardian, or other person who actually protects or rears an eligible child or will be giving birth to an eligible child.
8. "Aid recipient" refers to one of an eligible child’s protectors registered as a resident in an autonomous Gu of Seoul Metropolitan City.
9. "Self-employed person" refers to any of the following persons:
(a) A “self-employed person” under Article 95-2 (1) 2 of the Framework Act on Labor Welfare;
(b) A “labor provider” or “platform worker” governed by Article 91-15 of the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act;
(c) An “artist” under subparagraph 2 of Article 2 of the Artist Welfare Act who concludes a contract for culture and art services under Article 4-4 of the Artist Welfare Act and provides labor personally without employing another person;
(d) A “freelancer” under Article 2 of the Seoul Metropolitan Government Ordinance on the Protection of Interests and Support for Labor Providers and Freelancers;
(e) Other workers who do not fulfill the requirements for employment insurance payments, employees at businesses excluded from the scope of the Employment Insurance Act, and unenrolled employees of businesses who are not enrolled on employment insurance.

Article 2-2 (Relationship to Other Ordinances of Seoul Government) Except as otherwise provided in other ordinances, support for childbirth and childrearing shall be governed by this Ordinance.
[This Article Newly Inserted by Ordinance No. 7622, Dec. 29, 2023]

Article 3 (Responsibilities of Mayor) (1) The Seoul Metropolitan City Mayor (hereinafter referred to as the “Mayor”) shall formulate and implement childbirth and childrearing support policies, and make efforts to ensure such policies improve citizens’ welfare.<Amended on Oct. 17, 2022>
(2) The Mayor, when implementing childbirth and childrearing policies, shall make efforts to prevent discrimination on the grounds of nationality, race, religion, age, physical condition, etc.<Added on Oct. 17, 2022>

Article 4 (Support for Marriage, Pregnancy, and Childbirth) (1) The Mayor shall implement the following matters to remove impediments to marriage, pregnancy, and childbirth: <Amended on July 18, 2023; Oct. 4, 2023>
1. Provide support aimed at alleviating the burden of marriage and create conditions for marriage;
2. Provide support aimed at alleviating the burden of pregnancy and childbirth;
3. Support the care of maternal and infant health.
(2) The Mayor may offer the following subsidies to alleviate the burdens of pregnancy and childbirth: <Added on Jul. 18, 2023; May 20, 2024>
1. The cost of freezing eggs;
2. The cost of reversing a vasectomy or tubal ligation;
3. Outpatient treatment and examination costs for pregnant women and new mothers aged 35 or older.
(3) The Mayor may subsidize the postnatal care expenses of new mothers to promote maternal and infant health. <Added on Jul. 18, 2023>
(4) Detailed matters concerning the eligible beneficiaries, substance, means, procedures, etc. of the programs provided under the foregoing paragraphs (2) and (3) shall be separately determined by the Mayor. <Added on Jul. 18, 2023>
(5) The Mayor may entrust all or a part of the projects under paragraph (2) to a corporation, organization, or institution invested in or funded by the City. <Added on Jul. 18, 2023>
(6) The entrustment of affairs under paragraph (5) shall be governed by the Seoul Metropolitan Government Ordinance on the Entrustment of Administrative Affairs to the Private Sector. <Added on Jul. 18, 2023; Jul. 14, 2025>

Article 4-2 (Subsidy for Birth Celebration Items) (1) The Mayor may subsidize birth celebration items to a newborn child’s protector to celebrate the birth. <Amended on May 3, 2018; Jan. 9, 2020>
(2) The amount of the subsidy for birth celebration items shall be KRW 150,000 or less per eligible child. <Added on May 3, 2018; Jan. 9, 2020>
(3) As of the date of application, a recipient of birth celebration item aid shall be registered as a resident in an autonomous Gu of Seoul Metropolitan City and actually reside there as a member of the same household as the eligible child. <Added on May 3, 2018; Jan. 9, 2020>
(4) A recipient of birth celebration item aid may apply for the related subsidy by submitting the following documents to the head of the Dong with jurisdiction over the place of resident registration starting 50 days before the eligible child’s due date of birth and until three months after the birth: Provided, however, that where the application is received after the lapse of the application period, the Mayor may subsidize the birth celebration items if a reasonable cause for doing so is found:<Added on May 3, 2018; Jan. 9, 2020; Jul. 14, 2025>
1. Application for Birth Celebration Item Subsidy (attached Form 1) or Application for Integrated Birth Service Handling;
2. The family relationship certificate of the eligible child’s parents (only where the applicant does not consent to verification by the public official in charge through the joint use of administrative information under Article 38 (1) of the Electronic Government Act, or where such joint use of is unavailable);
3. If the eligible child’s protector is a court-appointed custodian or guardian, the eligible child’s identification certificate; or, if the eligible child is in the care of a child welfare facility under the Child Welfare Act, the livelihood security facility beneficiary certificate.
(5) The Mayor shall confirm the following before subsidizing the birth celebration items, and shall record the details of the subsidy in the attached Form 2 Birth Celebration Item Aid Recipient List, attached Form 3 Birth Celebration Item Subsidy Ledger, and attached Form 4 Birth Celebration Item Receipt Book respectively: <Added on May 3, 2018; Jan. 9, 2020; Jul. 14, 2025>
1. Details recorded on the eligible child’s birth registration (Provided, however, that, for pre-birth applicants, confirmation of such details may be made in lieu thereof by a Pregnancy Confirmation with the due date of birth recorded [issued by a medical institution] or the Standard Mother and Child Health Handbook [issued by a medical institution or a publiuc health institution]);
2. Details on the eligible child and aid recipient as recorded in the resident registration within the jurisdiction;
3. The aid recipient’s eligibility under paragraph (3) and whether the aid application is redundant.
(6) The Mayor shall provide the birth celebration items to the aid recipient if the inquiry under paragraph (5) shows no irregularity. The means of provision shall conform to the means of acceptance in the Application for Birth Celebration Item Subsidy submitted by the aid recipient under paragraph (4). <Added on May 3, 2018>
(7) If it is confirmed that a non-eligible person has received birth celebration items through fraudulent or other wrongful means, the Mayor shall retrieve them immediately pursuant to the following and record it in the Birth Celebration Item Subsidy Ledger for recordkeeping.<Added on May 3, 2018; Jan. 9, 2020; Dec. 30, 2022>
1. If the birth celebration items have not been used, they shall be retrieved as subsidized items;
2. If the birth celebration items have been used, the purchase price of the items shall be recovered.
(8) The Mayor shall confirm the allocation of the birth celebration item subsidy every quarter. <Added on May 3, 2018; Jan. 9, 2020>
[This Article Newly Inserted on Sep. 21, 2017]
[Title Amended on Jan. 9, 2020]

Article 4-3 (Support for Prenatal or Postnatal Depression Screening, Etc.) The Mayor may provide support for prenatal or postnatal depression screening if deemed necessary for a pregnant woman or new mother (including one who is a member of a multicultural family under subparagraph 1 of Article 2 of the Multicultural Families Support Act; hereinafter the same shall apply).<Amended on Oct. 17, 2022>
[This Article Added on March 10, 2022]

Article 4-4 (Maternal Transportation Expense Subsidies) (1) The Mayor may subsidize, within the available budget, transportation expenses up to KRW 700,000 per pregnant woman/new mother who fulfills all of the following conditions: <Amended on Oct. 17, 2022; Mar. 15, 2024>
1. When registered as a resident in an area under the jurisdiction of Seoul Metropolitan Government (a pregnant woman or new mother who is a member of a multicultural family may be deemed to fulfill this requirement if her residence in an area under the jurisdiction of Seoul Metropolitan Government is confirmed by evidentiary documents recognized by the Mayor);
2. When pregnant as of the application date, or has given birth less than three months before.
(2) The Mayor may pay the transportation expenses for a pregnant woman/new mother under Article (1) in cash, or in the form of a transportation card, voucher, etc.
(3) A pregnant woman or new mother or her spouse, etc. may apply for a maternal transportation expense subsidy by submitting an Application for Pregnant Woman Transportation Expense Subsidy or an Application for Integrated Birth Service Handling.
(4) The Mayor shall decide whether to provide the maternal transportation expense subsidy and pay the transportation expenses within 30 days of receiving an application under paragraph (3).
(5) If it is confirmed that a non-eligible person has received a maternal transportation subsidy through fraudulent or other wrongful means, the Mayor shall retrieve it immediately. <Amended on Dec. 30, 2022>
(6) The Mayor may delegate affairs concerning maternal transportation expense subsidies to the heads of autonomous Gus.
(7) Other matters necessary in connection with maternal transportation expense subsidies shall be separately determined by the Mayor.
[This Article Newly Inserted on Apr. 28, 2022]

Article 4-5 (Establishment and Operation of Public Postnatal Care Centers) To protect maternal and infant health and alleviate the economic burden on families with infants, the Mayor may establish and operate public postnatal care centers under Article 15-17 of the Mother and Child Health Act.
[This Article Added on Dec. 30, 2022]

Article 4-6 (Support for Pregnant Women Conceiving Multiple Children) The Mayor may provide the forms of support needed to ensure the safe and healthy pregnancy and childbirth of pregnant women conceiving multiple children and to maintain and promote the health of infants and young children born in multiple births.
[This Article Newly Inserted on Oct. 4, 2023]

Article 4-7 (Discounts on Public Wedding Hall Rentals) (1) To alleviate the financial burden of weddings, the Mayor may discount all or a part of the rental fees for facilities designated as Seoul Metropolitan City public wedding halls in any of the following cases:<Amended on My 19, 2025; Jul. 14, 2025>
1. The wedding of a person registered as a resident in Seoul Metropolitan City;
2. The wedding of the child of a person registered as a resident in Seoul Metropolitan City;
3. The wedding of a person who attends a school or workplace located in Seoul Metropolitan City (including a self-employed person).
(2) The discounted facilities and the scope of the discounts provided under paragraph (1) shall be separately determined by the relevant rule.
[This Article Newly Inserted on May 20, 2024]

Article 4-8 (Childbirth and Leave Benefits for Self-Employed People) (1) The Mayor may pay benefits designed to protect the maternity of self-employed persons and to alleviate their economic burden.
(2) The Mayor may formulate the budget necessary for the implementation of projects to subsidize maternity birth benefits and spousal birth leave benefits for self-employed persons, and may pay subsidies within the available budget.
(3) The Mayor may delegate part of the affairs concerning birth benefits and birth leave benefits subsidies to the heads of autonomous Gus.
[This Article Added on Jan. 1, 2025]

Article 4-9 (Subsidization of Newlywed Housing Costs) When deemed necessary to alleviate the financial burden of newlywed couples in acquiring housing, the Mayor may subsidize the costs within the available budget.
[This Article Newly Inserted on Jul. 14, 2025]

Article 4-10 (Subsidization of Newlyweds’ Wedding and Household Costs) (1) To alleviate the heavy financial burden of wedding and household costs, the Mayor may subsidize the wedding and household costs of newlywed couples within the available budget.
(2) The Mayor may delegate part of the affairs concerning subsidies for the wedding and household costs of newlywed couples to the heads of autonomous Gus.
[This Article Newly Inserted on Jul. 14, 2025]

Article 5 (Amelioration of Childrearing Burdens) (1) The Mayor shall implement the following types of support to ameliorate the childrearing burden:<Amended on Dec. 31, 2019; Oct. 17, 2022; Jan. 1, 2025>
1. Economic support to ameliorate the difficulties associated with childrearing;
2. Childcare support services to ameliorate the difficulties associated with childrearing;
3. Installation of infrastructures and amenities to create conditions that are conducive to childrearing;
4. Implementation of the Dadungi Happiness Card issuance program for the preferential treatment of multi-child families;
5. Provision of mobility services for families raising infants;
6. Provision of meal support and housework services for childrearing families;
7. Purchase and provision of childrearing supplies for pregnant women, new mothers, and families that are raising infants;
8. Subsidization of housing costs for non-home-owning families with newborn children;
9. Other matters deemed necessary by the Mayor to ameliorate the difficulties of childrearing.
(2) Detailed matters concerning the eligible beneficiaries, substance, means, procedures, etc. of the programs under paragraph (1) shall be separately determined by the Mayor. <Added on Oct. 17, 2022>
(3) The Mayor may delegate part of the affairs in paragraph (1) to the heads of autonomous Gus.<Amended on Jan. 1, 2025>
(4) The Mayor may entrust all or a part of the projects of the foregoing subparagraphs to institutions invested in or funded by the City. <Amended on Jan. 1, 2025>

Article 6 (Work-Life Balance Support) (1) The Mayor shall implement the following matters regarding diverse compositions of individuals and families seeking to conceive, give birth to, raise, and educate children in order to help them achieve a healthy work-life balance:<Amended on May 14, 2015; Oct. 17, 2022>
1. Support for the creation of work conditions conducive to a healthy work-life balance;
2. Support for the creation of social conditions conducive to a healthy work-life balance;
3. Support programs to prevent career interruptions of women;
4. Subsidization of grants aimed at encouraging parents raising children to take child-rearing leave;
(2) Detailed matters concerning the eligible beneficiaries, substance, means, procedures, etc. of the programs under paragraphs (1) shall be separately determined by the Mayor. <Added on Oct. 17, 2022>
(3) The Mayor may delegate the programs provided in paragraph (1) to the heads of autonomous Gus. <Added on Oct., 17, 2022>
[Title amended on Oct. 17, 2022]

Article 7 (Creation of a Social Atmosphere Conducive to Childbirth and Childrearing) The Mayor shall implement the following matters in order to establish a social atmosphere that is conducive to childbirth and childrearing: <Amended on Oct. 4, 2023>
1. Parent education programs concerning childbirth and childrearing;
2. Support for civic groups in connection with childbirth and childrearing;
3. Administrative and financial support for certain eligible businesses to allow comfortable dining out for children and their accompanying protectors.
[Title Amended on Oct. 4, 2023]

Article 7-2 (Parents’ Happy Week) (1) To raise public awareness of the social value and responsibilities of childbirth and childrearing and to establish a culture of respect for carers, the Mayor shall annually designate a week that includes “Parents’ Day” as “Parents’ Happy Week”.
(2) The Mayor may implement events, training, public relations projects, etc. that are compatible with the purpose of “Parents’ Happy Week” under paragraph (1).
(3) The Mayor may, within the available budget, subsidize all or a part of the costs necessary for the relevant corporations, organizations, etc. engaged in projects under paragraph (2).
[This Article Newly Inserted on Oct. 4, 2023]

Article 8 (Mid- to Long-Term Basic Plans) (1) The Mayor shall formulate the Mid- to Long-Term Basic Plans on Low Birth Rates (hereinafter referred to as “Basic Plans”) suitable to the characteristics of Seoul Metropolitan City in consideration of the Basic Plans on Low Birth Rates in the Aging Society under Article 20 of the Framework Act on Low Birth Rates in an Aging Society (hereinafter referred as the “Act”). <Amended on Jul. 14, 2025>
(2) The Basic Plans under paragraph (1) shall include the following matters:
1. Vision and direction pf policies aimed at addressing the low birth rate;
2. Implementation projects and means;
3. Necessary funds and how to secure them;
4. Other matters necessary for policies aimed at responding to the low birth rate and encouraging childbirth.
(3) Regarding the formulation of implementation plans, the Mayor may cooperate with, and submit requests for the relevant plans, policies, and data to, the heads of Gus, public institutions and other corporations and organizations.

Article 9 (Implementation Plan by Year) (1) The Mayor shall formulate and implement annual implementation plans (hereinafter referred to as the “implementation plans”) under Article 21 of the Act.
(2) The Mayor shall consider the Basic Plans under Article 8 when establishing and implementing implementation plans.
(3) The Mayor shall assess the the performance of implementation plans every year and fully incorporate the results in low birth rate-related policies.

Article 10 (Operation of a Childbirth and Childrearing Support Policy Advisory Group) For advice on important matters on childbirth and childrearing support policies, the Mayor may establish a Childbirth and Childrearing Support Policy Advisory Group composed of persons who have extensive knowledge, expertise, and experience in the field of birth.

Article 11 (Support for Enterprises, Private Organizations, Etc.) (1) The Mayor shall make efforts to provide the administrative support required to stimulate activities for responding to low birth rates by citizens, enterprises, public institutions, and other relevant corporations, organizations, etc. and to pay various incentives as payable under the governing laws.<Amended on May 14, 2015>
(2) All or a part of the expenses necessary under paragraph (1) may be subsidized within the available budget. <Amended on May 14, 2015>

Article 12 (Education and Public Relations) (1) To raise public awareness of the current state of and response to low birth rates, the Mayor shall continuously provide relevant information and engage in education and public relations efforts utilizing various media.
(2) To achieve the purpose of the foregoing paragraph (1), such matters may be entrusted to the relevant institutions.

Article 13 (Awards) To support childbirth and childrearing, the Mayor may make awards in the following cases: <Amended on My 14, 2015; Dec. 29, 2023>
1. Model multi-child family;
2. Model Dadungi Happiness Card vendors;
3. Model family-friendly enterprises;
4. Other individuals, organizations, etc. who have contributed to the response to low birth rate.

Article 14 (Enforcement Rule) Matters necessary for this Ordinance shall be determined by the relevant rule. <Amended on Jan. 15, 2017>

Addendum <No. 9744, Jul. 14, 2025>
This Ordinance shall enter into force on the date of its promulgation.