SoKor Offers 18 Months Parental Leave To Spur Baby Boom

South Korea plans to allow both parents paid parental leave for 18 months in an attempt to encourage more births in a country that saw its birth rate drop to a record-low 0.81%, a dismal figure as countries need to have a rate of 2.1% to maintain population size.

Photo Insert: The plan will raise the time for paid parental leave from 12 months to 18 months for each parent.

South Korea’s Department of Labor Minister Lee Jeoung-sik said the plan will raise the time for paid parental leave from 12 months to 18 months for each parent, Yonhap News reported.

With the option available to both parents, Lee stated, “Women will no longer face concerns regarding career interruptions.”

In addition, the plan will allow parents to take paid parental leave up until the child is 12 years old. Other incentives included shortening working hours for parents responsible for child care, Iris Jung also reported for Next Shark. If successful, South Korean men will receive the longest paid paternity leave in the world.

However, the plan fails to address growing fears surrounding parental leave and its impact on working individuals. Employees of larger companies faced a “disadvantage” after taking parental leave.

As a result, although 193,000 men were eligible for paternity leave in 2022, only 4.1 percent used the opportunity. In contrast, 65.2 percent of women eligible for maternity leave chose to take the option.

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