SEOUL — The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced a sweeping upgrade to its demographic policies on Tuesday, revealing the new "Seoul Child Companion Project" aimed at supporting families from marriage and childbirth through to housing and child-rearing.

During a policy performance sharing session held at Seoul City Hall, Mayor Oh Se-hoon highlighted the tangible impact of the city’s ongoing initiatives. According to municipal data, roughly 32,000 babies have been born through Seoul’s fertility treatment subsidies since 2022. Notably, nearly one in five newborns (19.9%) in the capital last year relied on these medical interventions.

"While it is encouraging to see our total fertility rate rebound from 0.55 in 2023 to a provisional 0.75 in the first half of this year, we still have a long way to go," Mayor Oh said. Emphasizing his resolve with the phrase "'I'm still hungry,'" he pledged to commit greater resources to ensure young couples feel confident about starting families in Seoul.

Key Pillars of the New Project

The newly announced "Seoul Child Companion Project" comprises 111 distinct programs divided into three core categories: birth support, childcare support, and family stabilization.

Childcare Infrastructure: The city plans to scale up its popular, low-cost "Seoul-style Kids' Cafes" from 240 to 430 locations by 2030. Additionally, the first "Seoul Child Dream Land"—a facility designed to introduce children to AI and future careers—is scheduled to open in the first half of next year, with expansion targeted to over eight sites by 2030. The "Seoul Child's Hearty Meal" program, which provides school vacation meal support, will also be expanded to cover dinners across 243 local centers starting this winter.
Housing and Family Relief: The city’s specialized long-term jeonse housing initiative for newlyweds, known as "Mirinae House," will see an additional 17,500 units supplied by 2030, building on the 7,108 units already provided since 2024. Furthermore, Seoul is introducing new health care cost subsidies for grandparents who assist in raising their grandchildren ("yellow-age childcare") and relaxing housing support criteria for low-income, child-bearing households.
Birth and Postnatal Care: Support for fertility treatments, pregnant women's transportation, and postnatal care expenses will continue. The network of "Seoul-style Safe Postnatal Care Centers"—which partner with private facilities to meet rigorous public standards—will expand from 5 to 11 locations by 2030.

Positive Demographic Trends

Since 2022, Seoul has poured approximately 8.2 trillion won into countering declining birth rates, benefiting an estimated 8 million cumulative recipients. Recent statistics indicate a positive shift: between January and August, local births rose 17.6% and marriages climbed 11.9% compared to the same period last year.

Municipal officials noted that the city's approach has evolved progressively—from easing initial parenting burdens under the 2022 "Mom and Dad Happy Project" to incorporating housing and lifestyle balance in 2024, and finally unifying the entire lifecycle framework under the newly minted "Seoul Child Companion Project."

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