"Pay 48,000 Won and Get 240,000 Won Worth of Groceries"... How to Apply for the Pregnant Women's Agricultural Product Package [The Basics of Benefits]

For Women Giving Birth or Expecting After 2025
No Income Requirements—Check Application Schedule by Region

Editor's Note"The more you know, the more you see—and the more you know, the more you can save." We live in an age overflowing with information, yet there are still many things we miss simply because we don't know about them. In [The Basics of Benefits], we deliver useful information that can help you save money in your daily life—tips that may cost you if you overlook them.

#Office worker A, who is expecting her first child, has found grocery shopping increasingly burdensome as the prices of fruits and vegetables have risen. Wanting to eat healthier by choosing environmentally friendly agricultural products, she learned about the "Environmentally Friendly Agricultural Product Package for Pregnant Women," a government-supported program that allows her to purchase such products at a lower cost.

AI-generated image to aid in understanding the article. ChatGPT

If you have experienced increased grocery costs after pregnancy or childbirth, it may be worth looking into the Environmentally Friendly Agricultural Product Package program for pregnant women. If selected as a beneficiary, you can purchase up to 240,000 won worth of environmentally friendly agricultural products, including a personal payment of 48,000 won.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs will launch the full-scale support program for environmentally friendly agricultural product packages for 160,000 pregnant women nationwide starting this month. After being piloted from 2020 to 2022 and then suspended, the program has resumed this year on a national scale. Pregnant women who are finally selected can place orders for the packages starting on the 20th.

192,000 won in support... Applications open to all income levels

Eligible applicants are women who give birth on or after January 1, 2025, or who are pregnant as of the application date. There are no additional criteria based on income level or nutritional status.

If you are chosen as a beneficiary, 192,000 won—80% of the total 240,000 won—will be subsidized by the central and local governments. Applicants are responsible for the remaining 48,000 won, or 20%. When ordering at an online mall, the support points are used, and the personal payment is made at checkout.

You do not have to purchase the entire package at once; orders can be split up to four times per month. Each order must be between 40,000 and 100,000 won. For each purchase, 80% of the amount is deducted from your support points, and you pay the remaining 20% yourself. The total limit of 240,000 won includes shipping fees and supplier commissions.

The support period runs until December 15 this year. Orders must be placed on the designated online shopping mall by this date. Any unused support points remaining after December 15 will expire.

However, you are not eligible if you are already receiving benefits from the Nutrition Plus program (a community-based health improvement project) or the Agri-food Voucher Program for households including pregnant women.

From Vegetables and Fruits to Organic Processed Foods

Image to aid understanding of the article. Not directly related to the article. The Asia Business Daily DB

With your support points, you can purchase government-certified organic agricultural products, pesticide-free agricultural products, organic processed foods, organic livestock products, and organic seafood, among others.

The number of mandatory supply items this year is 55, up by 20 from the 35 items in the previous pilot program. The ministry explained that the increase reflects feedback from pregnant women regarding their needs.

If you are selected as a final beneficiary, you must register with the designated Nonghyup Mall or a local government shopping mall, depending on your region, and verify your eligibility using your uniquely assigned number for pregnant women. After this, you can order products using both your support points and your own payment, and the package will be delivered to your residence.

Apply via EcoiMall... Schedule Varies by Region

Introduction to the Support Project for Eco-Friendly Agricultural Products from Forest Resources. EcoEmall

Applications must be submitted through the dedicated online platform, EcoiMall. The process involves simple identity verification and non-face-to-face eligibility screening before submitting your application. Applications must be submitted under the pregnant woman's own name; proxy applications using a husband’s or other family member’s name are not allowed.

If you are unable to complete identity verification, you must apply offline. If non-face-to-face eligibility verification is not possible, you can submit supporting documents to apply either online (general application) or offline.

Those who find online application difficult may visit the city, county, or district office, or the local administrative office corresponding to their registered address to apply in person. After your application is submitted, each local government will verify and approve eligibility, and those selected will be individually notified of their unique number for pregnant women.

The application period and submission sites vary by region. EcoiMall advises that applications submitted outside the official regional application period may be deleted in bulk, so you must apply within your local deadline. It may take more than two weeks from application to selection, and the results will be notified individually.

Pregnant women who complete the eligibility verification and are finally selected can order their packages online starting from the 20th. However, because the application and package distribution schedules vary by region, you should check the detailed timeline on EcoiMall or your local government website first.

The environmentally friendly agricultural product package is provided in the form of online shopping mall points, not cash. If you are eligible for support, first confirm whether and when you can apply in your region, and after selection, make sure to manage your remaining points and their expiration date.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.