The 2027 government budget proposal was approved at a Cabinet meeting on September 1. Its key feature is the reorganization of marriage, childbirth, and child-rearing support into three programs. Couples planning to marry or have children should check not only the benefit amounts but also the start dates and whether the plans are ultimately finalized.
Key Summary
The government proposal would reorganize existing marriage, childbirth, and child-rearing support around the marriage support payment, child welcome support payment, and basic child allowance. The marriage support payment would provide couples who register their marriage after January 2027 with KRW 1 million once in their lifetime.
The child welcome support payment would provide KRW 10 million for a first child, KRW 12 million for a second child, and KRW 15 million for a third or subsequent child, paid in four installments during the first year after birth. It also includes a plan to add KRW 5 million to each amount in preferential-support regions.
The key question is not only “how much will be paid?” but also “when will it apply?”
Essential Facts to Check
| Item | Main details of the government proposal |
|---|---|
| Marriage support payment | Couples registering their marriage after January 2027; KRW 1 million paid once in a lifetime |
| Child welcome support payment | KRW 10 million for a first child, KRW 12 million for a second, and KRW 15 million for a third or subsequent child; preferential-support regions receive an additional KRW 5 million for each amount |
| Payment method | Paid in four installments during the first year after birth |
| Eligibility 기준 | The revised plan applies to children born on or after July 1, 2027; children born by June 30, 2027, remain subject to the existing programs |
| Basic child allowance | KRW 200,000 per month as the basic amount, or KRW 300,000 per month in preferential-support regions. An additional KRW 300,000 per month is proposed for home-raised children aged 0–1 |
The detailed criteria for preferential-support regions still need to be confirmed. They cannot be assumed to simply mean a division between the Seoul metropolitan area and non-metropolitan areas. The age criteria for the basic child allowance must also be checked against the final legislation and implementation guidelines.
Background in One Line
The government plans to reorganize the support system from marriage through childbirth and child-rearing and has reflected the related funding in the 2027 budget proposal. It stated that the total benefits related to marriage, childbirth, and child-rearing per child could increase from KRW 36.9 million–42.98 million to KRW 49.4 million–75 million. However, these are estimates combining multiple items and do not mean that every household will receive the same amount.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare’s budget proposal allocates KRW 2.9272 trillion for the basic child allowance and KRW 698.1 billion for the child welcome support payment, each from the Future Response Fund.
Next Steps
President Lee Jae-myung instructed officials to consider applying the expanded benefits scheduled to take effect in July 2027 retroactively to children born from January 1, 2027. The Minister of Health and Welfare said retroactive application would require approximately KRW 250 billion in additional funding. However, this remains at the review and discussion stage and is not a finalized payment criterion.
The 2027 budget proposal will go through National Assembly review, amendments to relevant laws and enforcement decrees, and related system preparations before the final implementation status and detailed criteria are determined. At this stage, it is therefore difficult to calculate an individual’s exact benefit amount or use the proposal as the basis for marriage or childbirth plans.
Source Check
- Korea Policy Briefing·Ministry of Health and Welfare, “So Raising Children Is Not Difficult…Announcement of Key Youth Budget for 2027” — checked September 1, 2026: https://admin.korea.kr/briefing/pressReleaseView.do?gubun=pressRelease&newsId=156775938&pageIndex=1&repCode=
- Korea Policy Briefing, “KRW 43 Trillion Invested in Next Year’s Youth Policies…Focused Support from Employment to Housing, Marriage, and Childbirth” — checked September 1, 2026: https://www.korea.kr/news/policyNewsView.do?newsId=148970791&pWise=sub&pWiseSub=R1
- Ministry of Health and Welfare, “Announcement of the 2027 Ministry of Health and Welfare Budget Proposal” — checked September 1, 2026: https://admin2.korea.kr/briefing/pressReleaseView.do?newsId=156776366&pWise=mSub&pWiseSub=C1
- MBC, “President Lee: ‘Let’s Provide the Expanded Birth and Child Allowances Scheduled for Next July Starting with January Births’” — checked September 1, 2026: https://imnews.imbc.com/news/2026/politics/article/6848815_36911.html
- Official video from the Ministry of Planning and Budget, “Investing in the Future and Innovating Public Finance｜2027 Budget Proposal” — checked September 1, 2026: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJ2tuk-vAFc