Parental leave use by fathers and mothers in South Korea 2010-2019
In 2019, 63.6 percent of mothers in South Korea took parental leave in contrast to only 1.8 percent of fathers. While the share of fathers taking parental leave has increased ninefold compared to 2010, still mainly mothers are taking parental leave. The number of parents taking parental leave has increased steadily in recent years. Also noteworthy here is the increase in fathers who have taken more and more parental leave. Being aware of the problem and also with regard to the low birth rate and aging society, the South Korean government is recently trying to get more men to take parental leave.
