Lee on call to "abolish infertility treatment cycle limit": "They want a child... We should reconsider"

President Lee Jae-myung presides over Cabinet meeting on Nov. 3
"With low birth rates a national problem, why restrict it?"

President Lee Jaemyung said on Nov. 3 that the current system limiting infertility treatment to 25 cycles should be reconsidered, saying, "If people want to have children and there is no medical reason not to provide additional support, I think we should reconsider withholding it because of budget constraints."

President Lee made the remarks at a Cabinet meeting that day after Lim Ki-geun, head of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, told him, "Someone suggested abolishing the limit on the number of infertility treatments covered by health insurance."

President Lee Jaemyung speaks at a Cabinet meeting held at Cheong Wa Dae on Nov. 3, 2026. Yonhap News Agency

Currently, health insurance covers up to 20 cycles of in vitro fertilization and five cycles of artificial insemination per childbirth. Exceeding those limits can cost several million won.

President Lee said, "I often hear people point out the problems with infertility treatment," adding, "Given that the low birth rate is a nationwide problem, I wondered whether it really needs to be restricted."

He continued, "They say the restrictions are meant to protect the health of people undergoing fertility treatment, but once their treatment is cut off under the rules, it costs them several million won from then on."

Health and Welfare Minister Jeong Eun-kyeong responded, "There are medical opinions that women's health needs to be taken into consideration. If the issue is economic, we can expand coverage; for medical concerns, we will seek further opinions from experts."

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