Tag: parental leave

parental leave

Latest News

Lawmaker criticizes NEC's 'laxity' after data shows that 179 officials were on leave on Election Day

Data provided by the National Election Commission (NEC) shows that 179 of its employees took a leave of absence during the June 3 local elections, when ballot shortages occurred.

2026.6.24

A family talks with each other on a street in Seoul on Feb. 23, 2025. [YONHAP]

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.

2026.2.10

Most popular

Visitors wait for their appointment in the lobby of an obstetrics and gynecology clinic in Gwangjin District, eastern Seoul, on Jan. 28. [KWAK JOO-YOUNG]

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.

2026.2.4

Visitors at a fair for baby products try on child care items at Coex in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on Jan. 15. [NEWS1]

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.

2026.1.28

A caregiver and children are seen in front of a daycare center in Seoul on Feb. 11. [NEWS1]

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

The photo shows the newborn unit at MizMedi Hospital in Gangseo District, western Seoul, on Feb. 26. [JUN MIN-KYU]

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

Park Yong-su, vice minister of the Ministry of Personnel Management, briefs reporters on a proposed amendment to the State Public Officials Act at the government complex in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Nov. 25. [NEWS1]

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

A family of parents and children is seen on a street in Seoul on Feb. 23. [YONHAP]

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.

2025.9.18

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

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.

2025.7.27

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

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.

2025.6.8