Maternity leave to be extended to 90 days

The Ministry of Labor and the ruling Millennium Democratic Party agreed Wednesday to extend maternity leave to 90 days from the current 60 days.

They also decided to appropriate 15 billion won from the general account and employment insurance to subsidize wages for the 30-day extension.

The agreement came in a policy coordination meeting for the passage of the Law on Strengthening Motherhood Protection.

The government and the ruling party also decided to cover about 30 percent of ordinary wages with employment insurance funds for those on leave of absence for childcare reasons.

Pregnant women will be granted paid leave once a month for medical examinations of the fetus instead of the current monthly leave for menstruation. The government and the party allowed wage earners to take unpaid leaves of absence to nurse sick family members for three months per year and three times in total until retirement.

They decided to submit revision bills of related laws, including the Basic Labor Standard Law and the Law on Employment Equality between Men and Women, to the ongoing regular National Assembly session, aiming to have them take effect July 1 next year.

Rep. Han Myung-Sook, chairwoman of the women's policy subcommittee of the Millennium Democratic Party, said at present the government gives a subsidy of 120,000-150,000 won to an employer who allows his or her employees to take leaves of absence for childcare.

But in the days to come, the government will cover some of the lost income of those on the unpaid leave of absence. This will cost the government about 50 billion won per year, she said.

Rep. Han also said the period of the newly introduced leave for those who have a miscarriage or stillbirth when they are four to seven months pregnant will be set at more than 30 days.

She further said that the government and the ruling party will seek to introduce maternity leave for spouses.