According to data released by the Ministry of Data and Statistics on Wednesday, the number of parental leave takers reached 206,226 in 2024, up four percent from the previous year, with some 29.2 percent being fathers.
The number of fathers taking parental leave has steadily increased from 32,051 in 2019 to 50,815 in 2023, with most of them in their late 30s.
About 67.9 percent of fathers and 57.7 percent of mothers were employed at large companies with over 300 employees. By region, Gyeonggi Province had the highest number of parental leave takers with 60,917, followed by Seoul with 37,265, Incheon with 12,549, and Busan with 11,358.
Under relevant laws, parental leave allows pregnant women or parents with children under the age of 8 to take up to one year off from work.
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