Parents will soon be able to take one or two weeks of parental leave when their child suddenly falls ill or when schools and daycare centers close.
According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor, a new 'short-term parental leave' system will be implemented starting on the 20th. Workers with children under the age of 8 or in the second grade of elementary school can use this leave once a year in one- or two-week increments when short-term caregiving gaps arise.
Previously, parents had to take at least 30 days of parental leave to receive benefits, which often forced dual-income families to exhaust annual leave or rely on family members for care when their children were sick with conditions like hand, foot, and mouth disease or the flu.
Short-term parental leave can be used in cases of school or daycare closures, vacations, or when a child is hospitalized due to illness or injury, or when attendance is halted due to infectious diseases.
Even one week of leave will qualify for parental leave benefits. The amount is calculated based on the worker's regular wage and the monthly payment standards according to the cumulative duration of parental leave taken, proportionate to the actual days of leave.
Standard parental leave benefits provide 100% of the regular wage for the first three months, up to a maximum of 2.5 million won per month; for four to six months, it is 100% of the regular wage, up to 2 million won per month; and from the seventh month onward, it is 80% of the regular wage, up to 1.6 million won per month. The minimum monthly benefit is 700,000 won.
If parental leave is taken in segments, the total duration is combined to determine the applicable month for benefits. Therefore, the actual benefit amount for short-term parental leave will vary based on regular wages, cumulative usage, and the actual days of leave taken. Different criteria may apply if both parents take parental leave or if special provisions for single parents or parents of children with disabilities are in effect.
Short-term parental leave is not an additional entitlement. The one or two weeks taken will be deducted from the worker's total remaining parental leave. Generally, the parental leave period is one year, but if both parents take at least three months of leave for the same child or if certain conditions are met for single parents or parents of children with disabilities, it can be extended up to 18 months.
Employers cannot arbitrarily refuse the use of this leave. The amended Equal Employment Opportunity Act stipulates that employers must allow eligible workers to take short-term parental leave when requested.
However, if a large number of employees request leave during school vacation periods, it may significantly disrupt business operations. In such cases, while the company cannot unilaterally cancel the leave, it must negotiate with the employee to change the timing. If the timing is altered, the reasons and new dates must be communicated in writing.
It is also prohibited to terminate employment or impose disadvantages based on parental leave. The leave period counts toward the employee's length of service, and workers have the right to return to the same job or a position with the same pay after their leave ends.
The short-term parental leave policy aims to reduce situations where parents exhaust all personal leave or quit their jobs due to sudden child illnesses. The government reported that in the first half of 2026, the number of recipients of parental leave benefits exceeded 100,000, with the proportion of men rising to 38.8%.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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