Ruling People Power Party (PPP) interim leader Han Dong-hoon said on Sunday that the party will seek free childcare for five-year-olds starting next year and expand it to include three- and four-year-olds in phases.

The PPP chair unveiled the new election pledge ahead of the April 10 general elections in Bundang, Gyeonggi Province.

Han said that in the case of children attending daycare centers or public kindergartens, there is almost no burden for their parents, but some parents should pay up to 200-thousand won per month if their children go to private kindergartens.

The PPP leader said that the party intends to ease the burden by raising the current state subsidy for children aged three to five at kindergartens and daycare centers.

Currently, free childcare is offered to children aged zero to two, while the government provides up to 280-thousand won per child in support of childcare and education for children aged three to five.

Accordingly, parents of three- to five-year-olds pay a monthly average of about seven thousand won for fees at national and public kindergartens, but the monthly fees burdened by parents reach over 167-thousand won at private kindergartens.