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2 clusters · 5 sources · 9 days · First seen 20 days ago · Last updated 11 days ago

South Korean parental and infertility leave policies

Overview

South Korea is implementing various labor reforms and support programs to address work-life balance and fertility issues. In August 2026, the Ministry of Employment and Labor announced an expansion of paid infertility treatment leave from two to four days, effective November 27. To support small and medium-sized enterprises, the government will fully subsidize these four days, while introducing penalties for employers who deny leave or penalize employees for using it.

Simultaneously, government efforts to support parental leave through colleague compensation programs have faced challenges. Despite tripling the maximum monthly support amount from 200,000 won to 600,000 won, budget execution remains low, with only 19.1% of the 20.16 billion won budget utilized as of July 2026. Critics suggest the current application process, which requires employees to request compensation for their colleagues, creates social pressure and discourages the use of leave.

Entities

Ministry of Employment and Labor · Incheon International Airport Security · EcoPro · Lee Yong-woo · Lotte Shopping

Timeline

11 days ago

[BUSINESS] 2 sources
South Korea parental leave compensation budget shows low execution
South Korea’s parental leave workload compensation program faces low budget execution, with only 19.1% of funds used this year due to a cumbersome application process that creates social pressure for employees.
20 days ago

[BUSINESS] 4 sources
South Korea expands paid infertility treatment leave to four days
South Korea will expand paid infertility treatment leave from two to four days starting November 27, introducing stricter penalties for employers who penalize workers for using the leave.

Sources

biz.heraldcorp.com · hani.co.kr · jnilbo.com · kyeonggi.com · newstomato.com