A report has emerged stating that the level of maternity and childcare leave provided by domestic companies in South Korea ranks fifth among 38 countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). However, despite the increase in the number of individuals taking childcare leave, the utilization rate remains relatively low, suggesting that additional measures may be needed to encourage more parents to take advantage of these benefits.
The Korea Enterprises Federation (KEF) announced on Feb. 7 that it has published a report titled “A Comparative Study of Maternity and Parental Leave Systems and Implications” and revealed the information. The KEF comprehensively analyzed the duration and compensation of maternity and childcare leave for both women and men in the recent report, comparing them internationally. According to its findings, South Korea ranks fifth among the 38 OECD countries in terms of the level of guarantees provided.
When combining maternity leave before and after childbirth with women’s childcare leave, South Korea’s system provides a guaranteed period of 64.9 weeks. This includes 90 days of maternity leave before and after childbirth and one year of childcare leave, with a payment rate of 52.4 percent. However, when considering both the guaranteed period and payment and converting it into a period that ensures 100 percent of the average income, known as fully paid leave, South Korea ranked 16th among 38 OECD countries with a duration of 34 weeks.
In terms of the fully paid leave duration, South Korea’s level of guarantee for women’s leave and childcare ranked lower than Germany, which was 9th; Japan, which was 14th; and Sweden, which was 15th. However, it was higher than France, which was 24th; the United Kingdom, which was 34th; and the United States, which was 38th.
When combining spouse childbirth leave and male childcare leave, the guaranteed period for men’s leave and childcare in South Korea was found to be 54 weeks, including 10 days of spouse childbirth leave and one year of childcare leave, with a payment rate of 46.7 percent. The fully paid leave period, which ensures 100 percent of the average income, was 25.2 weeks, placing South Korea second behind Japan among 38 OECD countries.
When comparing the fully paid leave period for maternity and childcare leave for both women and men, South Korea ranked 5th among 38 OECD countries with a total of 59.2 weeks. This places South Korea at a higher level than the G5 countries excluding Japan, as well as Sweden.
Over the past 20 years, South Korea’s maternity and childcare leave policies have expanded rapidly. Childcare leave benefits have increased from a monthly allowance of 200,000 won (US$151) to 80 percent of the regular wage. Spouse childbirth leave has been extended from three unpaid days to 10 paid days. Additionally, the preliminary data for childcare leave usage among parents of babies born in 2022 indicates a rate of 30.2 percent, with 70 percent for women and 6.8 percent for men. This marks an increase compared to 2015, with an overall increase of 11.6 percentage points, 12 percentage points for women, and 6.2 percentage points for men.
However, the KEF evaluated that the policy objectives of preventing career breaks and overcoming low birth rates have been insufficiently achieved despite the rapid and continuous expansion of South Korea’s maternity protection system.