Give money to the person getting married

Many local governments in South Korea offer cash incentives to encourage marriage, such as subsidies for dating and honeymoon expenses.

In March, the Saha District Government in Busan offered up to 20 million won ($14,700) in subsidies to couples who got married after attending a matchmaking event organized by the district. They were also given 500,000 won ($365) in dating fees, 1 million won for engagement expenses, and a 10 million won ($7,300) travel allowance.

"The program is part of our population policy to address the crisis of low birth rate and population decline in the area," a district official said, adding that no couple had received all the subsidies.

A bride at a mass wedding in Gapyeong, South Korea, February 7, 2020. Photo: AFP

Other cities have also launched similar initiatives. In Geochang County, South Gyeongsang Province, newlyweds aged 19 to 45 who have lived in the county for more than three months will receive a subsidy of 600,000 won per year for three years.

The Hadong County government in the same province has recently increased the marriage incentive from 5 million won to 6 million won ($4,400). Several other counties and cities, including Goseong, Uiryeong and Miryang, also have marriage subsidies of 1-2 million won.

The trend is not limited to rural areas. Seoul, which had the lowest birth rate among South Korea’s 17 major cities and provinces last year at 0.58 (the recommended rate is 2.1), plans to introduce a “marriage starter fund” of 1 million won in one-time subsidies for newly married couples starting next October.

Gyeonggi Province will provide a similar amount to newlyweds aged 19 to 39 starting in June. In some areas, local governments are even more generous. The Sunchang County government in North Jeolla Province is using its own budget to provide 10 million won a year for four years to newlyweds who have lived in the county for at least a year.

Gimje City and Jangsu County have maintained similar programs since 2020 and 2018. The Hwasun County government in South Jeolla Province and Yeongdong County in North Chungcheong Province also provided 10 million won in support in installments over five years.

The number of support programs is increasing, but their effectiveness has yet to be proven. The Jinju City government in South Gyeongsang Province has provided 500,000 won in marriage subsidies to more than 4,000 couples since 2021, but the marriage rate has not changed significantly.

In Jangsu County, which has been implementing a 10 million won subsidy program for eight years, the marriage rate has continued to decline except for a brief increase in 2023 and 2024.

“Would anyone get married just to get the subsidy?” a local government official said in an interview on May 24. “But having the subsidy is better than not having it.”

Experts say these marriage incentives could repeat the mistakes of the birth subsidy policy, which failed to reverse a declining birth rate despite years of cash support for new parents, child support and childcare vouchers.

“Policies should focus on creating an environment where people can work and raise their families at the same time, while reducing the burden of buying or renting a home,” said Hong Suk-chul, an economics professor at Seoul National University.

“Current cash-based incentive programs, introduced due to competition between localities and implemented too hastily, are distorting the policy landscape and need to be restructured.”

Source: https://baohatinh.vn/tang-tien-cho-nguoi-ket-hon-post288527.html