Recent Developments On Childcare Leave In South Korea

Recent regulatory changes and a Korean Supreme Court decision have made childcare leave and flexible working hours more attractive and more available to employees with young children.

Enhanced Childcare-Leave Subsidies Expanded

Korean law provides for up to one year of unpaid childcare leave for a parent with a child aged eight or younger, or in the second grade or below. Although the leave is unpaid, there are government subsidies available for many employees on childcare leave, which are based on the employee's wage level (subject to a floor and cap). Subsidies may be lost or reduced to the extent that the sum of monthly subsidies plus any compensation received exceed an employee's 'ordinary wage'.