A Legislative Model for Maternity and Parental Leave in Korea: Towards Gender Equality in Reconciling work and Childcare

Abstract

This paper proposes a legislative model for maternity and parental leave in South Korea (hereinafter Korea) to realize gender equality in reconciling work and childcare. It recommends that Korea should replace its compulsory maternity leave system with a voluntary system which expands maternity and parental benefits. For the parental leave and benefits system, Korea should increase the wage-replacement rate of the income-based parental benefits system, while reframing parental leave and benefits as individual entitlements rather than family entitlements.