Gov’t unveils measures to support work-family balance amid low birth rate

South Korea’s presidential committee on population policy unveiled additional steps Wednesday to support employees balancing work and family life, aiming to address the country’s critically low birth rate.

The announcement comes amid South Korea’s alarming demographic crisis, with the total fertility rate — indicating the average number of births per woman over her lifetime — standing at 0.71 in the second quarter of 2024, far below the 2.1 needed to sustain the population.

Under the latest measures, the government plans to extend miscarriage leave for women from the current five days to 10, while also providing three days of leave for their spouses, according to the Presidential Committee on Aging Society and Population Policy.

The government will also delay tax audits by two years for small and medium-sized businesses that have made efforts to help employees balance work and family life.

Private businesses will be required to disclose the ratio of workers on parental leave as well, a requirement currently applied only to state-run businesses.

Other measures include revising regulations to allocate parking spaces for families with children or pregnant women.

The government will offer subsidies to regions lacking childbirth-related infrastructure too, helping them establish public postpartum care centers.

South Korea will also develop a mobile application that will provide customized information on state support for families with children.

Additionally, the government is working to revise laws to increase the ceiling on parental leave benefits, the committee added.