South Korea faces shortage of public postpartum care centers

South Korea is experiencing a significant shortage of public postpartum care centers, with only 29 facilities out of 480 nationwide classified as public. This scarcity has fueled controversy regarding the priority access granted to multicultural families at these centers.

While public facilities cost approximately 1.7 million won for a two-week stay, which is about half the 3.43 million won average for private centers, the lack of availability remains a critical issue. The shortage is particularly acute in the capital region and several major cities, including Busan, Daegu, Incheon, Gwangju, Daejeon, and Sejong, which currently have no public postpartum care centers at all.

Efforts to expand these services face hurdles such as limited local government budgets, difficulties in securing land, and a lack of legal grounds for national government funding. Although legislative proposals have been introduced to mandate the establishment of public centers and provide national subsidies, various government agencies have expressed caution regarding the financial burden on local municipalities and potential friction with the private sector.