Struggles of Parental Leave in South Korea: A Designer's Experience

In October, Choi (최모), a 31-year-old designer who had worked at a gaming company in Seoul for four years, faced a difficult conversation with her company’s CEO when she expressed her desire to take parental leave. The CEO responded, "You know how busy our projects are? With only 15 employees, it might be tough to accommodate parental leave." When Choi asked if she could work from home instead, the atmosphere turned tense. Ultimately, she resigned just two weeks before her due date, leaving her workplace in tears.

A recent survey conducted by the Seoul Foundation of Women and Family revealed that 70.3% of parents in Seoul raising children aged 0-5 are unable to utilize parental leave, reduced hours, remote work, or flexible work arrangements. Despite the existence of various policies designed to help parents balance work and childcare, many caregivers feel these options are still out of reach due to workplace pressures.

Parental leave is one of the most recognized policies supporting the work-life balance for parents. However, the survey found that less than 10% (9.8%) of parents are actually taking advantage of it. Other support measures are even less utilized, with only 9.3% of parents working flexible hours, 7.1% on reduced hours, and a mere 3.6% working from home.

Many parents express concerns about potential repercussions at work if they take parental leave. Lee Jong-jun (이종준), a 31-year-old employee at a major corporation in Jongno, Seoul, stated, "The policies are in place, but the reality feels like a taboo. I heard that applying for parental leave could lead to a transfer to another location, so I gave up on the idea."

The survey also highlighted that many parents who wish to care for their children directly are forced to send them to daycare due to work commitments. Among parents with 0-year-olds, 65.5% reported having to send their child to daycare because of their job, while 41.8% of parents with 1-year-olds felt the same.

The majority of parents receive help from family members, with 77.9% relying on grandparents or relatives for childcare support.