Starting on the 20th of this month, a 'short-term parental leave' system, allowing leave in one- to two-week increments, will be fully implemented to address gaps in childcare. Starting September 18, a 'three-type spousal support system' will also take effect to help male workers participate in pregnancy, childbirth, and child-rearing. This system overhaul follows the revision of the enforcement decrees of the Equal Employment Opportunity Act and the Employment Insurance Act, which were deliberated and passed at the Cabinet meeting on the 11th by the Ministry of Employment and Labor. Detailed implementation plans were established in accordance with the relevant amendment laws promulgated in February and March.

Key Details of the 'Short-Term Parental Leave' Effective from the 20th

• Conditions of Use: It can be applied for once a year in one-week (7 days) or two-week (14 days) increments in situations requiring intensive care, such as a child's facility closure, school closure, school break, hospitalization due to illness or accident, or infectious disease isolation. If there are multiple children, it can be used once per year per child.
• Relationship with Existing Limits: It is deducted from the total limit of existing parental leave (maximum 1 year and 6 months), but it is not included in the annual number of split uses (currently 3 times).
• Application Timing: If the leave is for a school break, it must be applied for 30 days in advance, and the entire existing leave period must fall within the school break period. On the other hand, for emergency reasons such as facility closures or a child's hospitalization, the leave can begin on the same day and can be applied for even if only a part of the period falls under the reason.
• Precautions: It must strictly be used in one-week or two-week increments; daily extensions or usage of less than 7 days are not permitted. The 'once a year' standard is based on the fiscal year in which the leave start date falls.
• Leave Allowance: It is paid upon application after using 7 or 14 days. It is calculated in the same way as general parental leave: 100% of ordinary wages (up to 2.5 million won) for months 1–3, 100% (up to 2 million won) for months 4–6, and 80% (up to 1.6 million won) from month 7 onwards. However, the payment level may vary depending on whether the parent is using the parental leave simultaneously or is a single-parent worker.

'Three-Type Spousal Support System' Effective from September 18

• Parental Leave During Spouse's Pregnancy: Male workers can use parental leave before childbirth when there are health risks such as a risk of miscarriage or premature birth during their spouse's pregnancy. It must be applied for at least 7 days before the intended leave start date.
• Expanded Spousal Maternity Leave: The period is expanded from 'within 120 days after childbirth' to 'from 50 days before the expected delivery date to within 120 days after childbirth.' A total of 20 days of leave can be used within this period, and the employer must grant the leave based on a document submitted by the husband specifying the (expected) date of birth and the dates of leave use. Workers at priority-support enterprises are paid 100% of their ordinary wages.
• New Spousal Miscarriage and Stillbirth Leave: If a spouse has a miscarriage or stillbirth, leave can be used for up to 5 days within 20 days of the date of miscarriage or stillbirth. The first 3 days are paid. For priority-support enterprises, 100% of ordinary wages are paid for the 3 paid days, with payment caps of 84,210 won for 1 day, 168,420 won for 2 days, and 252,630 won for 3 days.

Reduction of Reasons for Rejecting Reduced Working Hours for Childcare

The reasons for which an employer can reject the reduced working hours system for childcare will also change. Previously, there were three reasons: less than 6 months of employment, the nature of the work making it difficult to divide and causing significant disruption to normal business operations, and the inability to hire replacement staff. With this overhaul, the reason of 'inability to hire replacement staff' has been deleted. Therefore, starting with applications made on or after September 18, employers can no longer refuse applications for reduced working hours on the grounds of difficulty in hiring replacement staff.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor expects that the introduction of this system will enable a rapid response to care needs and lead to a visible expansion of male participation in pregnancy, childbirth, and child-rearing.