Korea Child Benefit Calculator
Enter a birth date to see this month's Korean child benefits and when each one changes or ends.
How this is worked out
- Parent benefit goes to every child under 2 (0–23 months): ₩1,000,000 a month at age 0 and ₩500,000 a month at age 1 (Child Benefits Act Art. 4(5), Enforcement Decree Art. 2(1)). If the child attends daycare, the basic childcare fee voucher is used first and only the difference is paid in cash — in 2026 at age 0 the voucher (₩584,000) is used and ₩416,000 is paid in cash; at age 1 the basic childcare fee (₩515,000) is larger than the benefit, so there is no cash difference.
- Child allowance is ₩100,000 a month for every child (Child Benefits Act Art. 4(1)). The age limit rises every year, and outside the capital region ₩5,000 to ₩20,000 a month is added (Enforcement Decree Art. 2(2)).
- First Meeting Voucher is paid once when a child is born — ₩2,000,000 for the first child and ₩3,000,000 for the second or later (Child Benefits Act Art. 10-2, Enforcement Decree Art. 10-3). It is a card voucher and can be used until the day two years after birth.
- Home-care allowance pays ₩100,000 a month from 24 months to a child who does not attend daycare or kindergarten. It ends not at 86 months but in February of the year after the year the child turns 6 (Infant and Child Care Act Enforcement Decree Art. 23-2(2)) — a December-born child at 6 years 2 months, a January-born child at 7 years 1 month.
- There is no income or asset test. But you must apply — within 60 days including the day of birth the payments go back to the month of birth, and later you are paid from the month you apply (the home-care allowance from the month it is decided).
The child allowance age limit rises every year
It starts at under 9 in 2026 and goes up one year at a time to under 13 from 2030 (addenda of Act No. 21489, Art. 2). The last payment is for the month before the birthday month of that age; nothing is paid for the birthday month itself (Child Benefits Act Art. 10(1)). So that nobody is cut off while the age rises, children born in 2017 are paid every month from 2026 to 2029 (addenda Art. 2(2)).
| Year of the payment month | Age limit |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Under 9 |
| 2027 | Under 10 |
| 2028 | Under 11 |
| 2029 | Under 12 |
| From 2030 | Under 13 |
Monthly child allowance by where you live
The base is ₩100,000 a month, with a top-up that depends on where you live. Priority and special areas are population-decline areas that the Ministry of Health and Welfare designates by notice — check which they are on Bokjiro or your local government's notices. In a population-decline area that pays in a local-currency voucher, ₩10,000 a month is added on top (Child Benefits Act Art. 4(7)).
| Where you live | Monthly cash amount | If paid in a voucher |
|---|---|---|
| Capital region (Seoul, Gyeonggi, Incheon) | ₩100,000 | — |
| Outside the capital region (not a population-decline area) | ₩105,000 | — |
| Population-decline area — priority area | ₩110,000 | ₩120,000 |
| Population-decline area — special area (designated by the Ministry of Health and Welfare) | ₩120,000 | ₩130,000 |
Parent benefit — at home and at daycare
The parent benefit amount is set by the child's age, and the way it is paid depends on whether the child attends daycare. In 2026 the basic childcare fee differs between age 0 and age 1, and only the difference between the benefit and the fee is paid in cash.
| Age | Cared for at home (cash) | At daycare |
|---|---|---|
| Age 0 (0–11 months) | ₩1,000,000 | Childcare voucher ₩584,000 + cash ₩416,000 |
| Age 1 (12–23 months) | ₩500,000 | Childcare voucher ₩515,000 (no cash difference) |
Example — a child born in January 2026
Assuming the family lives in the capital region and cares for the child at home, the monthly total is calculated with the same function as the calculator on this page. Amounts are for 2026.
| Child's age | Monthly total (cash) | Made up of |
|---|---|---|
| 0–11 months | ₩1,100,000 | Parent benefit at age 0 + child allowance |
| 12–23 months | ₩600,000 | Parent benefit at age 1 + child allowance |
| 24 months to before school (until February 2033) | ₩200,000 | Home-care allowance + child allowance (child allowance only if the child attends daycare or kindergarten) |
| Age 8 (in school) | ₩100,000 | Child allowance only — until the month before the 13th birthday month |
What this does not look at
- The month the amount changes — we could not confirm from public sources whether the parent benefit (at 12 and 24 months) and the home-care allowance (at 24 months) change from the birthday month or from the next month. This tool splits at the day the child reaches that many months (the birthday) and shows "to be confirmed" on screen.
- Rural-area and disability home-care allowances and any extra child-rearing payments from local governments are not counted. If the child stays abroad for 90 days or more, the home-care allowance is suspended (Infant and Child Care Act Art. 34-2(3)).
- Schemes with income or work conditions — the child tax credit payment, parental leave pay, tax credits — and childcare fee or kindergarten tuition support amounts are not included.
- With twins or several children, calculate one child at a time and add them up. Eligibility by nationality or residence status, and any recovery or suspension of amounts already paid, are not counted.
Based on the National Law Information Center: Child Benefits Act Arts. 4, 10 and 10-2 with the addenda of Act No. 21489 and its Enforcement Decree Arts. 2 and 10-3; Infant and Child Care Act Art. 34-2 and its Enforcement Decree Art. 23-2 (checked October 2026); the Ministry of Health and Welfare notices on the parent benefit and child allowance (revised March 2026); Bokjiro's "2026 Parent Benefit Guide"; and the Ministry of Government Legislation's everyday-law pages (quoting the Ministry of Education's "2026 Childcare Program Guide"). This is general information — check your own eligibility and amount on Bokjiro or at your local community center.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the parent benefit?
It is ₩1,000,000 a month at age 0 (0–11 months) and ₩500,000 a month at age 1 (12–23 months). If the child attends daycare, the basic childcare fee voucher is used first and only the difference from the parent benefit is paid in cash. In 2026 the basic childcare fee at age 1 is larger than the benefit, so there is no cash difference.
Until what age is the child allowance paid?
In 2026 it is under 9, rising one year at a time to under 13 from 2030. The last payment is for the month before the birthday month of that age. Children born in 2017 are paid every month from 2026 to 2029.
How much is the First Meeting Voucher and until when can it be used?
You receive it once: ₩2,000,000 for the first child and ₩3,000,000 for the second or later. It can be used until the day two years after birth. Depending on how the days are counted it may end a day early, so use it with some room to spare.
Until when is the home-care allowance paid?
Not until 86 months but until February of the year after the year the child turns 6. Children born in the same year all end in the same February, so a December-born child is paid until about 6 years 2 months and a January-born child until about 7 years 1 month. It is not paid while the child attends daycare or kindergarten.
Is it paid automatically without applying?
No. A guardian has to apply. Applying within 60 days including the day of birth pays back to the month of birth; later you are paid from the month you apply. You can also apply for everything at once when you register the birth.
Does the child allowance depend on where I live?
Yes. The capital region gets the base amount; outside it ₩5,000 a month is added, in a population-decline area ₩10,000 a month, and in the areas the Ministry of Health and Welfare designates ₩20,000 a month. In a population-decline area that pays in a voucher, ₩10,000 more is added.
Is what I enter saved?
No. The calculation runs only in your browser and nothing is sent or stored.
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