As Korea Battles Low Birthrates, Parental Leave Remains Uneven (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Jan. 7 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s efforts to boost parental leave as part of its fight against ultra-low birthrates continue to run up against a stark divide between large corporations and small businesses, according to a new government-commissioned survey that highlights persistent workplace barriers for parents.
The findings, released Wednesday, show that while awareness of parental leave policies is rising, access remains uneven. Nearly nine out of 10 companies with 300 or more employees said all eligible workers could freely take childcare leave. Among firms with five to nine employees, however, only six in 10 reported the same level of access.
The survey, conducted by the Korea Women’s Development Institute at the request of the Ministry of Employment and Labor, covered workplace conditions as of 2024 and included businesses of various sizes nationwide.
Overall familiarity with the childcare leave system has improved, with 57.7 percent of surveyed companies saying they understand the parental leave policy well, up from the previous year.
Yet smaller workplaces reported that employees often hesitate to take leave out of concern that their absence would increase workloads for colleagues or draw disapproval from supervisors. In firms with fewer than 10 workers, nearly one in five said eligible employees could not take childcare leave at all.
The most frequently cited reasons for limited access were fears of burdening coworkers, an unsupportive workplace culture and difficulties in finding replacement staff. Even when leave was available, the average maximum duration differed by company size, with large firms offering nearly a full year on average, compared with slightly less at small businesses.
A similar gap appeared in access to infertility treatment leave. More than 80 percent of large companies said such leave was fully available, while fewer than half of the smallest firms reported the same. Nearly 30 percent of small businesses said eligible workers could not use infertility treatment leave at all.
When asked which policies were most urgently needed to improve work-life balance, respondents pointed to reforming long working hours, addressing gender discrimination and workplace sexual harassment, and ensuring that both men and women can take parental leave without stigma.
Dual-income couples can take up to a combined three years of parental leave. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
In response, the Labor Ministry said it has increased subsidies this year for small and medium-sized firms that hire temporary replacements or redistribute workloads when employees take childcare leave. It also plans to introduce flexible start times, including a 10 a.m. workday option, and expand short-term childcare leave programs.
The survey also underscored the persistence of the “glass ceiling” for women. On average, workplaces reported 1.5 executives in 2024, but fewer than one in four of those positions were held by women.
Responses also suggested lingering bias in hiring and job assignments, with respondents indicating a tendency to favor men when qualifications are equal and to assign key roles disproportionately to male employees.
Together, the findings suggest that while policy frameworks have expanded, structural and cultural obstacles—especially in smaller workplaces—continue to limit their real-world impact, posing a challenge for the Democratic Party–led government as it seeks to address demographic decline and gender inequality simultaneously.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
