Korea Joongang Daily
Korea JoongAng Daily

Cabinet approves change to break up parental leave in week increments

Legislation allowing people to break up their parental leave into one- to two-week blocks to cover school and day care closures has passed a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

2026-02-10

Is Korea's birthrate crisis turning around? Why 'echo boomer' women are choosing to have children.

Korea was infamous for its subzero birthrate, but after hitting rock bottom in 2023, the number of births in Korea began to rise in 2024, albeit gradually, especially among women in their 30s.

2026-02-04

Men make up 1 in 3 parental leave takers as over 300,000 access benefits in 2025

Over one-third of parental leave-takers last year were men, with the number of people receiving benefits under Korea’s programs promoting work-family life balance surpassing 300,000 for the first time last year.

2026-01-28

Number of men on parental leave pass 60,000 for the first time, signaling successful policy reforms

3 in 10 parents who took parental leave last year were fathers, with the number of men on parental leave surpassing 60,000 for the first time. The increase is attributed to policy reforms aimed at encouraging fathers to take time off for their kids.

2025-12-17

Parental leave reaches record high in 2024 on increased births, support measures

The number of Korean workers taking parental leave reached a record high in 2024, data showed Wednesday, largely due to a rise in the number of births last year and the effects of government policies promoting parental leave.

2025-12-17

Korea weighs ending 76-year-old mandate that civil servants obey superiors

Korea is preparing to dismantle a decades-old rule that has required civil servants to unconditionally obey orders from their superiors, a reform accelerated by last year’s short-lived declaration of emergency martial law.

2025-11-25

Ministry of Personnel Management proposes amendments to expand parental leave policy

Civil servants in Korea may soon be able to take parental leave for children up to age 12, or through sixth grade in elementary school.

2025-09-18

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

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.

2025-07-27

More Korean men are taking parental leave, but over half work for large companies

In Korea, while more men are taking parental leave, small- and medium-sized enterprises lag behind large companies in participation rates.

2025-06-08

Record 132,000 Koreans took parental leave last year — and 32 percent were men

According to data the Ministry of Employment and Labor released Sunday, the number of workers who took parental leave in 2024 rose 5.2 percent from the previous year to 132,535.

2025-02-25