"Now Free From Age Four"... Expansion of Free Early Childhood Education and Care

Starting in March, the Ministry of Education will expand free education and care support to about 503,000 children aged four and five, with a total budget of 470.3 billion won. As a result, parents will receive de facto free education benefits by paying tuition and childcare fees that are automatically reduced by the amount of the government subsidy, without any separate application process.
According to the Ministry of Education on the 3rd, this measure is part of a phased expansion plan to realize "State Responsibility for Early Childhood Education and Care," a presidential campaign pledge and key national agenda item. The government had already begun by providing free support from July 2025 for about 278,000 five-year-olds. As of December 2025, kindergarten tuition had fallen 26.6 percent from a year earlier, indicating a clear reduction in household education costs.
From March this year, the scope of support will be significantly widened to include four-year-olds. Specifically, the program will cover a total of about 503,000 children: 248,000 four-year-olds and 255,000 five-year-olds. To fund this, the government has allocated 470.3 billion won, more than 3.6 times the 128.9 billion won budgeted last year. Using this expansion as a starting point, the ministry plans to complete free education and care coverage for all children aged three to five by 2027.
Per-child support rates will remain at the same level as in 2025, with different amounts provided depending on the type of institution and expense category. For 101,902 children attending public kindergartens, 20,000 won per month will be provided for after-school programs, totaling 24.456 billion won. For private kindergartens, which serve the largest number of children, 110,000 won per month in early childhood education fees will be provided for 226,221 children, with a total budget of 298.612 billion won. For 175,318 children attending daycare centers, 70,000 won per month will be offered as support for other necessary expenses, amounting to 147.267 billion won.
The director of a daycare center in Sejong Special Self-Governing City said, "The easing of cost burdens has allowed us to strengthen the management of our center, which in turn enables us to provide higher-quality educational services for children." A parent benefiting from the program noted, "We can really feel the changes in customized education services, such as expanded teaching materials tailored to children’s developmental stages and a greater variety of field trips."
Administrative convenience is another strength of the policy. Parents do not need to prepare any separate application documents to receive the subsidy. Instead, the amount corresponding to free education and care is automatically deducted from the kindergarten tuition or other necessary daycare expenses they have been paying. This system both reduces hassle for parents and significantly enhances how strongly they feel the benefits of the policy.
Kang Min-kyu, Director General for Early Childhood Education Policy at the Ministry of Education, stated, "Since last year’s policy effects have been confirmed, we will again ensure rigorous implementation this year to deliver visible changes that people can truly feel." He emphasized, "We plan to continue expanding support so that children are guaranteed equal opportunities at the starting line of life and parents can ease the burden of childrearing."
monarch@fnnews.com Kim Man-gi Reporter