‘Promotion OK · 100% Salary’ Non-Discriminatory Paternity Leave Is Needed [K Population Strategy]

Actually Using It: "Feeling Happiness Together at Important Moments"
No Exclusion of Promotion Period, Salary and Bonus Guaranteed to Reduce Burden
Culture of Giving Hints and Low Income Replacement Rate Still Limitations

Editor's NoteThe key to solving South Korea's population problem lies within companies. A workplace culture that evaluates employees based on their work regardless of gender and a family-friendly environment are crucial to addressing the K-population issue. Although low birth rates result from complex factors, it is important to ensure that workplace burdens do not become obstacles that make people hesitate to have children. Asia Economy has visited companies leading family-friendly policies to identify the factors that helped these systems take root stably, and plans to explore various approaches with companies that lack practical conditions. Through this, we aim to encourage change starting from companies and analyze the government's role in enabling this. We listen to voices emphasizing that company culture and atmosphere that reduce psychological burdens are more critical than financial support, and propose alternatives from diverse perspectives.

# "One month of mandatory paternity leave for men holds greater significance not just for the leave itself but for how it has transformed the overall culture and atmosphere of the company." These are the words of Jeon Min-seok (44, male), who took six months of parental leave and lived with his family in Jeju. Jeon, the finance team leader at Lotte e-commerce, took parental leave without losing seniority and was evaluated for promotion on schedule, eventually being promoted to team leader after returning.

# "Although it was not easy to be the first to say I would take leave, the active encouragement from the CEO and supervisors played a big role." Seo Bo-young (33, male), who took six months of parental leave following his wife's parental leave after their child was born in September 2022, said, "It was possible because the company guaranteed full salary during the leave period." Korea Ferring Pharmaceuticals, where Seo works, offers 26 weeks of parental leave with 100% salary paid regardless of gender.

Men taking parental leave positively impacts not only their spouse and children but also changes their attitude toward work and life, thereby helping improve corporate productivity. This is why establishing work-family balance systems and actively encouraging men to take parental leave are essential.

The above photo is not directly related to the article. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

According to "Activation of Male Parental Leave Use and Securing System Flexibility," announced by Heo Min-sook, Legislative Research Officer at the National Assembly Legislative Research Office on the 5th, men's participation in caregiving increases bonding and intimacy with their children and positively influences continued childcare after leave ends. Heo emphasized, "Men's participation in parental leave helps women return to the labor market earlier by sharing childcare responsibilities and alleviates involuntary choices (such as part-time work or job selection limited by short commuting distances) that female workers face regardless of their personal willingness."

However, although nearly 30 years have passed since male parental leave was introduced, it is still perceived as a system used only by some employees in large corporations. According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor on the 9th, the usage rate increased from 21.2% in 2019 to 28.9% in 2022, but more than half of the users were male employees working in companies with over 300 employees.

Fathers' Participation in Childcare Positively Affects Post-Leave Parenting

Men who took parental leave unanimously stated that a workplace atmosphere actively encouraging leave and receiving income equivalent to their salary were major factors in their decision to use parental leave.

Kim Yoo-sung (37, male), who became a father of two children in the past four years, took a total of three months of paternity leave. When his first child was born in December 2020, he took two months, and last June, he took one month with his second child. He still has one month left to use, which he plans to take when the children grow older. Although legally spousal paternity leave is 10 days, Lego Korea, where Kim works, guarantees up to 8 weeks of fully paid paternity leave for caregivers. During his leave, Kim prepared customized nutritious meals for his wife. He said that seeing his first child’s early smiles (visible only within the first three months after birth) was a precious memory. He emphasized, "If I hadn't been on paternity leave, I would have missed that moment. Being able to share important moments in my child's growth was very meaningful."

On December 21 last year, Jin Gwang-il was taking his two children to daycare and kindergarten before going to work in Gangseo-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

Jung Sung-yeok (43, male) took a two-week paid "child school entrance care leave" coinciding with his son's elementary school enrollment. Jung, who works at CJ CheilJedang, said, "I had only seen videos of my son swimming that my wife showed me, but during the trip, I was able to see him swim in person." Because it was paid leave, Jung felt no burden and said, "Thanks to that, I was able to recharge and spend a gift-like time with my family."

"Did you rest well?" Workplace Atmosphere Needs Improvement

The low number of men taking parental leave can be attributed mainly to two factors: a workplace atmosphere that pressures employees and low income replacement rates. A man who took one year of parental leave recently said at a meeting, "After taking a year off, the phrase I heard most was 'Did you rest well?'" On the anonymous workplace app 'Blind,' posts expressing deep concerns about childcare and fears of disadvantages when using flexible work or parental leave continue to appear, questioning the company atmosphere.

Income replacement rates are also problematic. According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the first-month parental leave pay over the past five years has not even reached half of the average wage. The income replacement rate, calculated by comparing the average first-month parental leave pay to the average wage of large, medium, and small companies, has shown a declining trend annually over the past five years. It dropped from 48.8% in 2020 to 47.6% in 2021, 46.5% in 2022, and further to 41.8% last year. By company size, large corporations' rates fell to 38.1% last year, while small and medium enterprises remained at 45.5%.

Male parental leave can also have positive effects from a management perspective. Establishing work-family friendly systems increases employee satisfaction, which improves work efficiency and can enhance overall corporate productivity in the mid to long term. According to the 2019 "Parental Leave Experience Survey" by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, 81% of male respondents said their productivity and work concentration improved.

Kim Min-young (34, female), head manager at Lotte Hotel, took 2 years and 6 months of parental leave, and her husband, who works at the same company, is also planning to take parental leave. Kim said, "Many people say the best thing about the company is these family-friendly policies," adding, "This leads to loyalty to the company. Because I want to work hard and stay long, I try to do my job better."

At Naver, male managers also freely take parental leave. Kim Byung-kwan (36, male), leader of Naver Smart Place Service Development Team 1, took one and a half years of parental leave last year to care for his newborn child, along with about three months of paternity and refresh leave. Kim said, "Naver has a strong culture of respecting individual choices, so men have no difficulty taking parental leave." As a result, Naver was named one of Forbes' "World's Best Employers" last year, evaluated based on talent development, economic performance, corporate image, gender equality culture within the organization, and corporate social responsibility.

Special Coverage Team 'K-Population Strategy - Gender Equality is the Answer'

Reporters: Kim Yuri, Lee Hyun-joo, Jung Hyun-jin, Boo Ae-ri, Gong Byung-sun, Park Joon-i, Song Seung-seop
Kim Pil-su, Economic and Financial Editor

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