Seoul to give childbirth subsidies to parents with disabilities

The Seoul municipal government said Monday it will give a subsidy of 1 million won ($847) per child to parents with disabilities starting this year.

The support is aimed at easing the financial burden of childbirth on mothers and fathers with disabilities, as they often earn less than their nondisabled counterparts, a city government spokesman said.

Last year, the average monthly salary of a family with a disabled parent was 1.98 million won, or 53.4 percent of the salary of an average household in South Korea, according to government data.

The municipal government will receive applications for the subsidy starting Tuesday and make payments retroactively for children born on or after Jan. 1 of this year, the spokesman said.

All parents with a disability that falls under the three most serious of the six official disability levels are qualified for the subsidy, regardless of their income.

Seoul City will be the first local government in the country to introduce such benefits. (Yonhap News)