[Exclusive] 'Latte Papa' Surpasses 20,000 Members

[Friday Story] Last Year’s Parental Leave Users Accounted for 21.2%
Sharp Increase with Over 4,600 More Than Previous Year
From Rare Cases to Natural Procedure
Accelerating Social Awareness Change on Childcare

Photo by Getty Images

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] "Traveling to nearby places and reading books to my children in bed have now become part of our everyday life." Park, a financial sector worker in Daegu, took parental leave last year to care for his two sons who are two years apart. Seeing his children jump with joy at the news that their dad won't be going to work tomorrow or the day after recharges the energy drained by his work life. While adapting to clumsy housework and childcare, his wife, who had only been a mother, has started working again as a school assistant instructor.

"It's a war as soon as I open my eyes. After tidying up the house all day, the kids make a mess in just three seconds..." Oh, who worked at a public institution in Suwon, took over childcare duties with his wife who returned to work after a year of leave following the birth of their second child. This decision was made in response to senior fathers' regrets about missing out on memories of their children's early years. Although evenings are busy enough to drain his energy, this time as another pillar of the family is invaluable.

Men who take leave from work to focus on childcare, so-called 'Latte Papa,' exceeded 20,000 for the first time last year. The total number of parental leave takers also surpassed 100,000 for the first time, showing an increase, with men's participation in childcare becoming more active than ever. The culture of not postponing or avoiding the 'special experience' of raising children directly but considering it a natural right and happiness is also spreading.

According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor on the 10th, the number of men taking parental leave last year was 22,297, accounting for 21.2% of all leave takers (105,165). One in five leave takers is male. Parental leave is a system that allows workers with children under 8 years old or in the second grade of elementary school or younger to apply for up to one year of parental leave. Each parent can use one year per child, totaling two years, so the use by 'fathers' as well as 'working mothers' is increasing.

Ten years ago, in 2009, it was not easy for either gender to take leave for childcare. At that time, the total number of leave takers was 35,400, of which only 502 were men. Since then, the number has increased sharply every year, and this year, both the total number of leave takers and male leave takers reached record highs for the first time.

In particular, the proportion of men is overwhelmingly high among users of the 'second leave' for the same child. Among the 8,993 users of the 'Dad Parental Leave Bonus System,' which raises the parental leave pay for the third month of leave to 100% of the ordinary wage (up to 2.5 million KRW per month) last year, 7,901 were men, accounting for 88% of the total.

The Moon Jae-in administration has expressed its intention to go further by promoting 'simultaneous parental leave' for couples, rather than taking turns. President Moon recently mentioned this in his New Year's address, pledging to "introduce simultaneous parental leave for couples to create a better environment for raising children while working." Sweden, known as the pioneer of the parental leave system, introduced the world's first joint parental leave system for parents in 1974. This system, introduced to utilize female labor, combined with active government support and policies, changed the overall social atmosphere and corporate culture. The term 'Latte Papa,' symbolizing male childcare, also originated in Sweden.

Paternal parental leave is still mainly used in public enterprises, public institutions, and large corporations. As of the first half of last year, 56.7% of men taking parental leave worked at companies with more than 300 employees. However, the proportion of men working at companies with fewer than 300 employees taking parental leave (43.3%) is improving compared to the same period last year (40.8%). The reduced working hours system during childcare, considered a second-best option, is rapidly spreading mainly in workplaces with fewer than 300 employees. During the same period, among 2,759 users of reduced working hours during childcare in the private sector, 11.8% (326) were men, and 76.4% of all users worked at companies with fewer than 300 employees. Among these, the proportion of male users reached 70.9%.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.