Ms. Kim, a woman in her 30s residing in Seoul's Seongdong-gu, currently has no plans for marriage, but she envisions establishing a family in the future after securing her career and finding a spouse. With these considerations in mind, she became interested in egg freezing, yet the high cost of the procedure posed a significant obstacle. Kim stated, "I wanted to consider egg freezing as a precaution for the future, but the high cost of several million won per procedure made me hesitant."
To support women facing similar concerns, Seoul City will officially launch the "Egg Freezing Procedure Cost Support" program starting from September 1st. This program targets 300 women aged 20 to 49 residing in Seoul's Seongdong-gu and stands as one of the largest locally funded initiatives nationwide.
Seoul City's initiative to cover the cost of egg freezing procedures is part of the "Oh Se-hoon's Firstborn Child Policy" announced in March as a means to address the issue of extremely low birth rates. Egg freezing involves preserving a woman's eggs by freezing them at very low temperatures, halting their biological activity until they are thawed and used when needed. Initially developed for women with anticipated ovarian dysfunction, egg freezing has recently become a widespread trend among women who wish to delay pregnancy.
The actual number of egg freezing procedures has increased by about twofold over three years. According to CHA Hospital's statistics, the number of procedures rose from 599 in 2019 to over 1131 in the previous year. Furthermore, according to a survey by CHA Hospital's Women's Health Research Institute, 69.8% of unmarried women and 64% of married women expressed an intention to preserve their eggs. However, the high cost of egg freezing procedures, which are not covered by health insurance, poses a financial burden.
Under this program, 50% of the pre-examination and procedural costs for egg retrieval will be supported, up to a maximum of 2 million won per individual. Storage fees, hospitalization fees, and examination costs unrelated to egg retrieval will be excluded.
A representative from Seoul City stated, "We introduced support for egg freezing procedure costs as a realistic option to preserve women's fertility potential, considering their future possibilities for childbirth." They added, "While it may not have fit the policy framework before, we boldly implemented this program in response to citizens' demands and needs."
Eligibility for this program is limited to 300 women aged 20 to 49 who have resided in Seoul for at least six months. Income levels (up to 180% of median income) and ovarian function test scores will be applied to some applicants. The program will be effective from September 1st, and support applications can be made after egg retrieval. Detailed qualification criteria and application procedures can be found on Seoul City's comprehensive childbirth and parenting website, 'Mongttang Information Universal Key'.
Furthermore, on the 24th, Seoul City signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Korea Life Insurance Association, which consists of 19 domestic and international insurance companies. This agreement includes support for egg freezing procedures and multiple-birth child safety insurance coverage. Through this partnership, Seoul City aims to actively contribute to both public and private efforts to combat the low birth rate. The Korea Life Insurance Association plans to donate around 4 billion won to Seoul City for this purpose.
Mayor Oh Se-hoon stated, "As women's average childbearing age increases, there is growing interest and anticipation for egg freezing procedures among citizens. We will actively support women preparing for future pregnancies to ensure that pregnancy and childbirth become happy choices." Given Seoul City's experience with the lowest total fertility rate (0.59 births) recorded last year, the city is devoted to actively addressing the low birth rate issue.
