Lotte Group to mandate paternity leave

Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin, fourth from left, poses with Diversity Committee members at the Way of Women Forum in downtown Seoul, Wednesday. / Courtesy of Lotte Group

By Park Jae-hyuk

Lotte Group will be the first conglomerate to mandate paternity leave for all employees next year, guaranteeing 100 percent of their salary for a month, the company said Wednesday.

Male workers in Korea have been able to get paternity leave since 2007, but most of them have not applied, as the government only gives a maximum of 1 million won ($853) a month to them.

Lotte promised to make up the difference in ordinary pay so that male workers can care for their children without financial burden for at least a month.

The group will also extend maternity leave for female workers from a year to two years and guarantee their ordinary pay for at least a month.

The plan was announced during the Lotte Way of Women Forum, attended by Chairman Shin Dong-bin and about 500 female employees.

According to Statistics Korea, less than 5,000 men applied for paternity leave last year, while more than 80,000 women applied for maternity leave.