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SEOUL: The Seoul city government is facing a popular backlash after advising pregnant women to cook several meals for their husbands and make sure they have clean underwear before going to the hospital to give birth.
This would avoid causing “inconvenience” to the family, the government of the South Korean capital posted on a website for pregnant women.
The guidelines, originally published in 2019, were removed from the website last week after they were made public and sparked a flurry of criticism.
As of Monday (January 11) afternoon, more than 20,000 people had signed a petition posted on the presidential website calling for the officials responsible for the content to be punished.
During the early stages of pregnancy, women were advised to hang up a small outfit that they wanted to wear after delivery to “motivate” them not to overeat or skip exercises.
“By not putting off household chores like cleaning and washing dishes, you will help maintain your weight even without extra exercise,” said the website for the Pregnancy and Childbirth Information Center.
As the due date approaches, the expectant mother should prepare some meals in advance for her husband, who “will not be familiar with cooking”, and make sure he has clean underwear, socks, shirts and handkerchiefs that will last. until his wife comes back from the hospital.
“Avoid causing inconvenience to your family by checking if there is enough toilet paper, toothpaste, toothbrush, soap and detergent,” the website stated.
South Korea faces a demographic crisis as its birth rate plummets and women face a double burden of work and childcare.
“The goal of the website appears to be to promote singleness and not motherhood,” the petition reads, adding, “Does Seoul City think of women as public goods that give birth?”
In a statement to AFP on Monday, the Seoul city government acknowledged that it had not “thoroughly checked” the contents before posting them on its website.
“We will establish a basis for regular inspection of the overall operation to prevent this from happening again.”
