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Fathers take parental leave in record numbers, accounting for 36%

Published: 27 Jul. 2025, 19:37

A family moves through central Seoul on Feb. 23. [YONHAP]

The number of Koreans taking parental leave surged nearly 37 percent in the first half of this year, with fathers accounting for a record share of more than 36 percent.

From January to June, 95,064 people began receiving parental leave benefits for the first time, according to employment administration data released by the Ministry of Employment and Labor on Sunday. That’s a 37.4 percent jump from the same period last year, when 69,631 people received benefits.

The rise was especially sharp among men. A total of 34,645 male recipients marked a staggering 54.2 percent increase, outpacing the 28.1 percent growth rate among women, who numbered 60,419.

Men now make up 36.4 percent of all new parental leave recipients — the highest share on record. The figure has climbed steadily from 13.4 percent in 2017, topping 30 percent for the first time last year and rising another 4.8 percentage points this year.

The data suggests that Korea’s once female-dominated parental leave culture is shifting rapidly. Labor officials attribute the change to recent policy reforms, including increases in the duration and size of leave benefits.

Since January, the maximum benefit has risen from 18 million won ($13,018) to 23.1 million won annually. A deferred payment rule, which withheld 25 percent of the benefit until six months after returning to work, has been abolished.

In addition, an existing policy offering full pay during the first three months of parental leave for each parent, to be taken concurrently or consecutively with their partner, was significantly expanded in scope. Under the revamped “6+6” parental leave system, each parent is now eligible to receive a full salary for six months, and eligibility was expanded from parents of children up to 12 months old to parents of children up to 18 months old.

Despite progress, not all can take advantage of the expanded benefits. Among companies with over 1,000 employees, men accounted for 47.2 percent of parental leave recipients. But that figure dropped to 25.8 percent at workplaces with fewer than 50 employees. Income disparities also played a role: Men earning more than 3 million won a month were twice as likely to take leave as those earning less.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY KIM YEON-JOO [[email protected]]