How Does Korea’s Child Welfare System Address Regional Disparities? Insights from the 2026 Spring Conference

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Amid a deepening crisis of low birthrates and population aging, a major academic forum will assess regional disparities in child welfare and explore solutions.

The Korean Association of Child Welfare announced it will hold its 2026 Spring Conference under the theme “Child Population Change and Regional Gaps: Strategies for the Child Welfare System.” The event will take place in person in the HIT building’s second-floor main lecture hall and will be streamed live nationwide on Hanyang Cyber University’s YouTube channel, allowing child welfare experts and officials across the country to participate without time or travel constraints.

A central focus of the conference is regional variation in welfare infrastructure, an issue closely tied to the risk of local decline. Afternoon sessions will offer in-depth examinations of conditions on the ground in four key regions — Gangwon, Ulsan, Jeonbuk (North Jeolla), and Chungnam (South Chungcheong).

According to presentation materials, Gangwon’s child population density can be up to 150 times lower than Seoul’s, producing serious “medical and care blind spots” where families must travel more than 20 minutes for pediatric care. In Ulsan, where 42% of households are dual-income and face a so-called “care cliff,” organizers will propose a new 24-hour “responsible care” model available for 1,000 KRW per hour (about 0.75 USD). Meanwhile, Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province records one of the nation’s highest child poverty rates, yet its per-child welfare budget remains below the national average — a paradox that will be questioned at the conference.

A subsequent roundtable will probe the root causes of these regional gaps. Experts are expected to argue — and debate vigorously — that the problem stems not merely from a shortage of physical facilities such as daycares or welfare centers, but from structural flaws in the allocation of welfare resources and in regional governance design.

Kim Jin-sook, president of the Korean Association of Child Welfare and a professor in the Department of Social Welfare at Hanyang Cyber University, said, “The fundamental principle is that every child in South Korea should enjoy equal welfare rights regardless of where they are born and raised. Yet the reality today shows stark differences in the quality and quantity of services depending on where people live.”

Kim added, “I hope this conference will serve as an important starting point to accurately identify regional child welfare gaps and for the central and local governments to sit down together and develop effective policy measures to address them.”

Busan — Donam Seon, reporter, aegookja@viva100.com