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 [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 17 (Korea Bizwire) — The number of South 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. A total of 206,226 workers took time off from work [...]
SEOUL, June 2 (Korea Bizwire) – Despite legal protections for maternity and parental leave in South Korea, new data reveals that many workers—particularly non-regular employees—continue to face pressure and retaliation for attempting to exercise these rights. The labor advocacy group Gapjil 119 on Sunday disclosed 58 cases of workplace mistreatment related to childbirth and parenting over [...]
SEOUL, Feb. 25 (Korea Bizwire) — In an effort to support employees taking parental leave, Doosan Group recently implemented an unusual incentive system designed to reward coworkers rather than just the parents themselves. This year, the company began offering a “Parental Leave Supporter Bonus” of up to 500,000 won ($350) to team members when a [...]
SEOUL, Feb. 24 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea marked a milestone in parental leave policies as men accounted for more than 30% of workers taking childcare leave last year, the Ministry of Employment and Labor reported on February 23. The total number of workers using parental benefits, including maternity leave and childcare leave, reached 256,771 in [...]
SEOUL, Aug. 4 (Korea Bizwire) – Men accounted for one-third of employees who took child care leave in the first half of this year, marking the first time the male proportion has surpassed 30 percent, labor data showed Sunday. A total of 69,631 employees received their first child care leave allowance from the national employment [...]
SEOUL, Apr. 1 (Korea Bizwire) – A survey of South Korean office workers has revealed that an automatic parental leave system paired with income protection during leave is viewed as the most critical labor policy needed to address the nation’s chronically low birth rates. According to the civic group Gabjil 119, which polled 1,000 office employees, [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 19 (Korea Bizwire) — Benefits for working parents taking a leave of absence to take care of their babies will be increased to a maximum of 39 million won (US$29,981) per couple next year, the labor ministry said Tuesday. The Cabinet approved a revised Employment Insurance Act, reflecting expanded parental benefits, during a [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 25 (Korea Bizwire) — The number of South Korean workers who took time off to take care of their children rose 18.6 percent in 2022 from a year earlier on the back of more government support for parental leave, government data showed Monday. A total of 131,087 workers took parental leave to take [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 9 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korean plans to expand the period of parental leave of working parents from the current one year to one year and six months, the labor ministry said Monday. The Ministry of Employment and Labor also said it plans to increase the quota of foreign workers with non-professional employment [...]