Sean Daily

This is an English version of our Korean article, based on public information as of October 4, 2026. Please check the official sources below for the latest details.

Read the original Korean article

When a baby is born, a flood of support programs needs your attention at once, and it is hard to know what to apply for first. This article focuses on the three large cash-type supports: the First Meeting Voucher (첫만남이용권), parental benefit (부모급여) and child allowance (아동수당). It covers what changed in 2026 and the points that are easy to miss when applying. Eligibility for many Korean programs depends on residency or registration status in Korea, so please confirm on the official site.

〰

Childbirth and child-rearing support at a glance

Let’s look at the big picture first. The table below is organized based on guidance from the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW, 보건복지부). Each program is run separately, so you need to apply for each one that applies to you.

Program	Support	Key points
First Meeting Voucher	For children born on or after January 1, 2024: KRW 2 million for a first child, KRW 3 million for a second or later child	Paid as a National Happiness Card voucher; apply and use within 2 years of birth
Parental benefit	Age 0: KRW 1 million per month; age 1: KRW 500,000 per month	If you use daycare, the difference after subtracting the childcare fee is paid in cash
Child allowance	From KRW 100,000 per month for children under age 9, with extra payments depending on region	Scheduled to expand by one year of age every year through 2030
Diapers and formula for low-income households	Diapers KRW 90,000 per month, formula KRW 110,000 per month (National Happiness Card points)	Infants under age 2 in recipient households, etc.; applying within 60 days of birth covers all 24 months

For example, if you raise an age-0 baby at home in the Seoul metropolitan area, you would receive KRW 1 million in parental benefit plus KRW 100,000 in child allowance, for KRW 1.1 million every month. This is a simple sum and may differ depending on income or separate local government support.

〰

How to receive the First Meeting Voucher

This is a voucher paid for a child who has completed birth registration and received a resident registration number. For children born on or after January 1, 2024, it is KRW 2 million for a first child and KRW 3 million for a second or later child. Remember that it is paid as a National Happiness Card voucher, not in cash.

The usage period is 2 years from the date of birth. You must also apply within 2 years of the date of birth on the resident register. The guidance says it can be used at most types of businesses except entertainment and gambling businesses, some hygiene businesses such as massage (hair and beauty salons are excluded from this), leisure businesses, adult goods, duty-free shops and the like.

You can apply by visiting a community service center (주민센터) or public health center, or online through Bokjiro (복지로). ID is required, and if you apply by proxy you need a power of attorney, a copy of the guardian’s ID, and the proxy’s ID.

〰

Parental benefit: what happens if you use daycare

All children under age 2 are eligible. Age 0 gets KRW 1 million per month and age 1 gets KRW 500,000 per month, paid on the 25th of each month when the child is raised at home.

If you use daycare, you receive in cash the parental benefit minus the infant childcare fee. The difference is paid on the 20th of the following month. As in the table below, age 0 has a remaining difference, but for age 1 the basic childcare fee is higher than the parental benefit, so there is no difference.

Category	Basic parental benefit (A)	Basic infant childcare fee (B)	Difference (C = A – B)
Age 0 (0-11 months)	KRW 1 million	KRW 584,000	KRW 416,000
Age 1 (12-23 months)	KRW 500,000	KRW 515,000	No difference

There is one thing to watch out for. If you use daycare or full-time child care service (아이돌봄), you must apply for the infant childcare fee and the child care service separately from the parental benefit. A separate application is needed, so be sure to check.

〰

Child allowance: what changed in 2026

Under the Child Allowance Act amended on March 20, 2026, the eligible group was widened from children under age 8 to children under age 9. It will go up by one year of age every year and reach under age 13 in 2030. In addition, children living outside the Seoul metropolitan area or in population-decline areas receive an extra KRW 5,000 to 20,000 per month.

On April 24, retroactive payments for January to March were made to 430,000 of the children born between January 2017 and March 2018 whose payments had been suspended. The MOHW said it plans to pay the unpaid amounts retroactively to children whose payment information could not be confirmed, as soon as that information is confirmed.

Region of residence	Cash payment	If paid in part as local gift certificates
Seoul metropolitan area	KRW 100,000 per month	–
Non-metropolitan area	KRW 105,000 per month	–
Population-decline area, priority zone (우대지역)	KRW 110,000 per month	KRW 120,000 per month
Population-decline area, special zone (특별지역)	KRW 120,000 per month	KRW 130,000 per month

The additional payment in gift certificates is implemented by the relevant local government after procedures such as amending an ordinance, so first check whether your area actually runs it.

〰

Application steps and easy-to-miss points

The easiest way is to apply at the same time as you register the birth. According to MOHW guidance, parental benefit can be applied for through a one-stop service together with birth registration. Online, you can use Bokjiro or Government24 (정부24).

In order, it goes like this. First, when you register the birth, apply for all the support you can at once, and if you plan to use daycare, apply separately for the childcare fee. Then it helps to write the payment dates and the voucher usage deadline on your calendar.

There are three common mistakes. First, putting off the parental benefit application and passing the 60-day retroactive deadline. Second, applying for the First Meeting Voucher but forgetting the usage deadline. Third, not knowing that the childcare fee must be applied for separately when you use daycare.

In addition, for pregnant women registered at a public health center at 16 weeks of pregnancy or later, iron supplements are provided for up to 5 months, and folic acid supplements for up to 3 months before and after pregnancy. The maternal and newborn health management support program has an income criterion, so you need to check eligibility at the public health center.

〰

Frequently asked questions

Q. If I send my child to daycare, can’t I get parental benefit?

You can. The difference after subtracting the infant childcare fee from the parental benefit is paid in cash. As of 2026, the difference is KRW 416,000 for age 0, and for age 1 there is no difference because the childcare fee is higher.

Q. I registered the birth late. Is parental benefit paid retroactively?

If you apply within 60 days of the date of birth, support is paid retroactively from the month of birth. The retroactive scope after 60 days may differ, so check at Bokjiro or the Health and Welfare Call Center (보건복지상담센터, 129).

Q. Until when can I use the First Meeting Voucher?

For children born on or after January 1, 2024, it is 2 years from the date of birth. You must also apply within 2 years, so check both deadlines.

Q. Do children whose child allowance was suspended need to apply separately?

Children born between January 2017 and March 2018 who received retroactive payment in April were paid after their payment information was confirmed, without a separate application. If your payment information was not confirmed, you need to receive a notification text message or letter and confirm the information.

This article compiles public information for informational purposes. Support details and application deadlines may differ depending on income, area of residence and date of birth, so please be sure to check at Bokjiro, your community service center, or the Health and Welfare Call Center (129).