- Sharp Increase in Early 2025: Parental leave use rose 42.6%, and male participation rate jumped 69.2%, showing strong progress in work-life balance.
According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor (Minister Moon-soo Kim), the total number of individuals who benefited from work-parenting balance support programs—such as maternity leave and parental leave—reached 256,771 in 2024, an increase of 17,242 (+7.2%) from 239,529 in 2023.
< Parental Leave >
The Rate of Male Participation in Parental Leave Surpasses 30% for the First Time
The number of individuals taking parental leave in 2024 was 132,535, a 5.2% increase (+6,527) compared to 126,008 in 2023. Although the number of parental leave users had slightly declined in 2023 due to falling birthrates, the figure rebounded in 2024 thanks to expanded work-family balance policies.
*(2020)112,038→(2021)110,555→(2022)131,084→(2023)126,008→(2024)132,535
Of these, 41,829 were men, accounting for 31.6% of all parental leave benefit recipients—surpassing 30% for the first time. The number of men taking parental leave has been rapidly increasing, growing nearly ninefold in the past 10 years from 4,872 (5.6%) in 2015.
*(2015) 4,872(5.6%)→(2017) 12,042(13.4%)→(2020) 27,421(24.5%)→(2022) 37,884(28.9%)→(2023) 35,336(28.0%)→(2024) 41,829(31.6%)
This surge seems to be largely due to the expanded “Parental Leave for Both Parents” policy, which now allows both parents to receive up to KRW 4.5 million per month if each takes six months of leave within 18 months of their child’s birth. The number of users benefiting from this program jumped from 23,910 in 2023 to 51,761 in 2024, which equals 2.16 times.
*(Previously) pay raises when both parents take 3 months of parental leave within 12 months of their child's birth (up to KRW 3 million)
(Currently) pay raises when both parents take 6 months of parental leave within 18 months of their child's birth (up to KRW 4.5 million)
This upward trend has been continuing into 2025. With the expansion of the parental leave allowance starting January 1, 2025, the number of parental leave users in the first 30 business days of the year increased by 42.6% compared to the same period in the previous year. In particular, male participation rate surged by 69.2%.
Parental leave usage is particularly concentrated during the child’s first year of life (under 12 months), when parental care is most needed. Among female users, 80.0% took leave during this period (+2.1%p), and among male users, 46.5% did so (+7.5%p).
< Increasing Use Among SMEs >
Usage of parental leave continues to grow among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). In 2024, 75,311 parental leave users (56.8%) were employees of SMEs designated for priority support—a 1.2 percentage point increase from 2023.
Among workers at companies with fewer than 100 employees, 60,128 (45.4%) took parental leave, marking a 0.9 percentage point increase from the previous year.
The average length of parental leave is 8.8 months—9.4 months for women and 7.6 months for men.
< Reduced Working Hours During Childcare Period >
Usage of Reduced Working Hours Increased 14.8% in 2024
The number of workers who used reduced working hours for childcare rose by 14.8% in 2024 to 26,627, up from 23,188 in 2023. Although the number of users remains smaller than that of parental leave, the rate of growth is significantly greater (nearly three times the 5.2% growth in parental leave). Since the 2019 policy reform that allowed reduced working hours for up to one year in addition to parental leave, the usage has consistently grown.
Among all users of the reduced working hours policy, 62.8% (16,718 people) were employed at SMEs—higher than the 56.8% seen in parental leave. Notably, workers at companies with fewer than 10 employees made up 24% of all users, showing strong adoption in micro-businesses.
By child’s age, reduced working hours are used across all age groups more evenly than parental leave; however, the usage was the highest for children aged 0–1 (38.4%), followed by children aged 6–7 (22.5%).
The average reduced working hours amounted to 12.3 hours per week (about 2.5 hours per day), and 65.8% of users shortened their workdays by less than two hours per day.
< Major Expansions to Work-Childcare Support Policies in 2025 >
In 2025, work-life balance policies for working parents are being significantly expanded. Starting January 1st, the maximum monthly parental leave benefit was raised to KRW 2.5 million, and the post-payment of 25% of the pay was eliminated, allowing full payment during the leave period (up to KRW 23.1 million for 12 months of leave). For the “Parental Leave for Both Parents” program, the first month’s benefit was increased to KRW 2.5 million, and or single parents, the first three months’ benefit was raised to a maximum of KRW 3 million.
* (1~2 months) KRW 2.5 million, (3 months) KRW 3 million, (4 months) KRW 3.5 million, (5 months) KRW 4 million, (6 months) KRW 4.5 million
Starting February 23, the “Three Major Childcare Support Acts” were implemented, which expanded eligibility for reduced working hours up to a child’s 6th-grade year (age 12), increased the maximum support amount for reduced hours (up to KRW 550,000 per month for 10-hour reduction), and extended the possible use period from 2 to 3 years.
To alleviate staffing burdens for SMEs resulting from the usage of work and childcare balance programs, the Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) has expanded substitute workforce support and peer workload-sharing allowances since January. SMEs and workers who hire substitutes during parental leave can receive up to KRW 18.4 million in support.
*MOEL: SMEs KRW 14.4 million, Foundation for Partnership between Conglomerates and SMEs·Shinhan Financial Group: Companies with fewer than 50 employees KRW 2 million, Local governments: support workforce (Jeonbuk, Gyeongbuk, Gwangju, Ulsan: KRW 2 million, Seoul: KRW 1.2) ⇒ Up to KRW 18.4 million
Minister Moon-soo Kim stated, “We will focus our efforts on ensuring that the newly expanded work-family balance programs in 2025 are successfully implemented in practice, so that all working parents can confidently pursue both their careers and childcare responsibilities.”