Lawmakers in Korea Seek to Establish Longer Paternity Leave

Legislators from both the ruling and opposition parties are presenting bills to enable fathers to take more paternity leaves as a way to safeguard men's rights to raise their children and to boost Korea's record-low birthrate, which is around 1.2 children per woman.

In South Korea, paternity and maternity leaves are called "birth leaves" and are granted to parents around the time their babies are born. Childcare leaves are granted after in order for the parents to raise and take care of their child. Women can have up to three months of maternity leave and one year of childcare leave. On the other hand, men can have up to five days of paternity leave - three days with pay and two non-paid, and one year of childcare leave.

Based on a report from the Korea Times, Rep. Kim Song Sik of the People's Party presented revisions to current regulations in order to grant fathers up to five days of paid paternity leave every month over a period of six months, for a total of 30 days.

He also added a clause that prohibits employers from firing fathers who take leave or to put them at a disadvantage. If employers disregard this order, they will be subject to a prison term for a maximum of three years or a fine of up to 20 million won.

Kim further stated, "Childcare by men should not be regarded as something that the state or the employer should think about, but a natural right of the parent. If the revision is passed, it will help reduce the number of women who quit work due to childbirth and childcare."

However, some critics claim that even if the number of days of paternity leave is expanded, men would not be able to take advantage or benefit from it except when the domestic social climate changes.

In 2015, only 5.6 percent of the people who took childcare leave were men. This is associated to the norm of the society that discourages paternity leave because of the impression that a man should work while a woman takes care of the children.

Saenuri Party Rep. Song-Hee Kyung suggested a set of changes that includes allowing a couple to have two years of childcare leave and obliging the husband to have at least three months out of the total 24 months.

Song said, "Men who take childcare leave are regarded as aliens at their workplace and in most cases, they are unable to exercise their rights to take the leave which is guaranteed by law. For men working in the private sector, and especially in the case of non-regular workers, childcare leave is nothing more than a dream."