Samsung Electronics said that it has opened Korea’s largest day care center in Suwon, about 30 km south of Seoul.

The center, which opened Tuesday, measures about 9,240 square meters in total and has a maximum housing capacity of 600 people.

As a large-scale expansion of a childcare center that first opened in 1996, this new building is about six times the size of the original and is expected to help ease the burden of childcare costs.

Female company employees with children aged 1-5 are eligible to use the service, but formal admittance will be decided through a lottery system.

Meanwhile, Samsung Electronics operates nine childcare centers at its six work sites across the nation. As of 2012, about 1,900 female employees were taking advantage of this service, according to company officials.

By Renee Park (renee@heraldcorp.com)