Indian mom receives ₹1.26 lakh 'congratulatory aid' after giving birth in South Korea, video surprises desis

An Indian woman’s video detailed South Korea’s generous maternity support.

A video of an Indian woman living in South Korea has gone viral on Instagram, drawing attention to the country’s maternity support system and sparking widespread discussion online.

Neha Arora explained South Korea’s generous cash support for new mothers. (@mylovefromkorea17/Instagram)

Neha Arora, who is married to a South Korean man and is now a mother, shared in her reel the government support she received during and after pregnancy.

Many viewers, especially those from India, were left stunned upon learning the details of the financial aid offered to expectant mothers in South Korea.

Breakdown of South Korea’s maternity aid:

Arora explained that as soon as her pregnancy was confirmed, the Korean government gave her ₹63,100 to cover medical check-ups and medicines.

On top of that, she was provided ₹44,030 for public transport expenses, whether by bus, taxi, or her private vehicle.

The benefits increased around the time of delivery. She revealed that she received a lump sum of ₹1.26 lakh at childbirth, which is officially known as “Congratulatory Money on Delivery.”

The support did not stop once her baby was born. According to her, the Korean government continued to provide monthly financial aid to help raise the child.

She received ₹63,100 every month for the baby’s first year, ₹31,000 per month during the second year, and ₹12,600 per month from the child’s age of two until eight.

Check out the video here:

The video was shared on September 1, 2025, and since then, it has garnered 6.5 million views and more than 1 lakh likes.

Here's how people reacted to this video:

The video sparked mixed reactions online. Many viewers praised South Korea for its generous support, while some Indian users compared it to the limited maternity benefits in India.

One of the users commented, “Korea's birth rate is going down, and Korean women believe raising a child is expensive.”

A second user commented, “This is amazing, not like these other countries in which women are fired from their jobs because they are not able to work properly.”

“This is exactly how it should be everywhere in the world,” another user commented.

Some users were simply amazed at the support offered, while others felt the system showed how seriously South Korea values families and child care.