South Korea to approve more paternal leaves amid low births

South Korea's presidential committee on population policy on Tuesday unveiled plans to have up to 70 per cent of fathers take parental leave by 2030 as the government intensifies efforts to tackle the nation's pressing demographic challenges

Seoul: South Korea’s presidential committee on population policy on Tuesday unveiled plans to have up to 70 per cent of fathers take parental leave by 2030 as the government intensifies efforts to tackle the nation’s pressing demographic challenges.

The figure would mark a sharp increase from just 6.8 per cent recorded in 2022, according to the Presidential Committee on Ageing Society and Population Policy. The rate for mothers stood at 70 per cent in the same year.

---

The data represents the ratio of people who take parental leave among eligible workers with children aged eight or younger. The latest announcement comes amid anticipated changes in the parental leave policy starting next year.

Currently, both mothers and fathers can each take up to one year of parental leave, which can be divided into three periods. Starting in February, however, if both parents take at least three months of leave, each parent’s total leave period can be extended to 18 months, which can be split into four periods.

Also, the cap on compensation for parents taking time off from work will be raised to 2.5 million won ($1,782) a month from the current 1.5 million won for the first three months of their leave.

The monthly compensation will gradually decrease to 2 million won for the following three months and to 1.6 million won for the next six months. The detailed amount will vary depending on workers’ ordinary wages.

The country also aims to reduce the proportion of women experiencing childbirth-related career interruptions to 10 per cent by 2030, compared with 22.3 per cent recorded this year.

The government has been unveiling a series of measures to address the country’s chronic demographic challenges including the world’s lowest birth rate. The committee said the government has already taken action for 143 out of 151 related tasks as of November. The total fertility rate, which refers to the average number of expected births per woman in her lifetime, came to 0.76 in the third quarter, far below the 2.1 births per woman needed to maintain a stable population without immigration.

The government plans to raise the fertility rate to 1 by 2030. “We have prepared various policies, including offering short-term parental leave, raising the ceiling on monthly subsidies, and allowing men to take leave when their spouses are pregnant,” a committee official said.

The government also plans to support fertility tests for 210,000 people in 2027, up from 80,000 in 2022. The committee announced detailed measures to support premature babies as well, aiming to establish two new emergency centers dedicated to treating critically ill mothers and newborns next year.

Premature babies refer to those born before 37 weeks of pregnancy or weighing less than 2.5 kilograms. Approximately 28,000 babies were born prematurely in 2023, accounting for over 10 per cent of newborns, according to government data. The country will launch a 24-hour transport support system to ensure timely care for mothers and babies in critical conditions, the committee added.