Visitors look at items on display during a baby fair in Sejong, central South Korea, on Dec. 27, 2019. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, July 21 (Korea Bizwire) — About half of the South Korean households with infants had experienced a career interruption for childbirth and child-rearing, a poll showed Wednesday.
The Korea Institute of Child Care and Education conducted a survey of 2,500 households with children under 6 years of age across the country.
Half of the households replied that at least one parent had quit their job to give birth and take care of their children.
By gender, the share of those who quit their job among women stood at 48.8 percent, far higher than the 0.8 percent reported for men.
The share of those who experienced a career interruption due to childbirth and child-rearing among women continued to climb, rising to 40.3 percent in 2018 from 24.6 percent in 2009.
In response to a question asking about the reason why they quit their job, 37.4 percent of the 1,213 women with such experience said that they thought it was more valuable for them to be fully dedicated to child care than to work.
The second largest share (29.5 percent) said that it was difficult for them to find an appropriate childcare facility.
In response to a question asking about when they quit their job, 55.5 percent of the women said that they quit when they became pregnant, followed by 24.5 percent who said they quit when they gave birth or right after maternity leave.
J. S. Shin (js_shin@koreabizwire.com)
