(123rf)

Low-income multicultural families with children aged 7 to 18 can apply for state funds starting from May through September at some 230 family centers across South Korea.

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family announced Monday that it will launch a pilot project to support educational activities for school-aged children from multicultural families who earn less than the median income in the country.

Multicultural families are defined in the Multicultural Families Support Act as consisting of a marriage between a foreign national resident or naturalized Korean, and a Korean national from birth or naturalized Korean, and their children.

The median income is a metric used to identify the midpoint of the nation's income distribution. As of 2023, the median income for four-member households in Korea stands at 5.4 million won ($3,900) a month.

The amount of support varies by age: 400,000 won per year for elementary schoolers, 500,000 won for middle schoolers and 600,000 won for high schoolers.

The educational activity fund can be used for such expenses as purchasing textbooks and having to pay to use study rooms or for purchasing materials for arts or vocational training, as well as for fees generated when applying for certain certifications.

Children from multicultural families who do not attend school are also eligible for the program and will receive support based on their age.

The pilot program is designed to ensure various educational opportunities for children of low-income multicultural families who have difficulty adjusting to school or learning.

The payment for educational activities will be paid in one lump sum with points that the family can use through a NongHyup card. The payment period varies by the time of application, with the first payment to come in July and two others in September and October.

"We will continue to strengthen support for children of multicultural families to reduce the educational gap with their peers so that they can grow as future talent," said Shin Young-sook, deputy minister of the Gender Ministry.