Korean fathers increasingly take paternity leave amid demographic crisis

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A record number of Korean men are opting for paternity leave in a notable cultural shift, government data showed Sunday, as the country faces an intensifying demographic crisis driven by one of the world’s lowest birthrates.

According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor, 95,064 workers began receiving parental leave benefits between January and June this year, marking a 37.4 percent jump from the same period in 2023.

Of these, 34,645 — roughly 36.4 percent — were men, the highest proportion in Korean history, and up 54.2 percent from last year.

The figures exclude civil servants and teachers not covered under the national employment insurance program, indicating the true number is likely even higher. The share of male parental leave recipients has climbed steadily from 13.4 percent in 2017 to 31.6 percent last year, with a dramatic leap to 36.4 percent in the first half of 2024.

Authorities attribute the surge to improved parental leave policies and expanded financial incentives.

Recent reforms extended the "6+6 Parental Leave" program, granting both parents up to six months of paid leave at 100 percent of their regular salary for childcare of infants under 18 months.

The monthly allowance cap was also raised this year by 1 million won to 2.5 million won ($1,800) and earlier barriers for payout were removed.

Parents can now extend their combined leave up to 18 months if both take at least three months.

The impact varies across workplace sizes and salaries. In large companies with over 1,000 employees, men made up nearly 47.2 percent of new parental leave recipients, showing just a slight parity with women. However, in firms with less than 50 workers, men accounted for only 25.8 percent.

Higher-wage workers are also more likely to take leave, with men representing 48.8 percent in positions earning at least 3 million won per month, compared to 24.4 percent among those earning less.

These advances come amid Korea’s rebound in the ongoing demographic crisis where the nation that previously struggled with a record low birthrate of 0.72 saw a slight increase in the first quarter of this year to 0.82. While the increase is a positive sign, the figure remains far below the replacement level of 2.1 necessary for a stable population.

Experts and surveys have consistently cited entrenched traditional gender roles as a key obstacle. Women are still expected to shoulder the bulk of household and childcare duties, making marriage and childbirth unattractive prospects amid high costs and limited social support.

These norms have fueled widespread aversion to matrimony and parenthood among young women, exacerbating population decline.

With both policy and social attitudes rapidly evolving, officials hope greater male participation in parenting can help reshape expectations and stem Korea’s population slide.

"The expansion of maternity protection programs and greater financial support appear to be producing results," a ministry official said, "Requirements such as having both spouses use at least three months of parental leave in order to extend the leave period also seem to be encouraging more men to participate."