Parental leave expanded to cover spousal care during pregnancy

Song Seok-jun: 'Active support from spouse is necessary'

People Power Party lawmaker Song Seok-jun. [Provided by the lawmaker's office]
People Power Party lawmaker Song Seok-jun. [Provided by the lawmaker's office]

A bill to expand parental leave eligibility for male workers who need to care for a pregnant spouse was introduced Friday.

People Power Party lawmaker Song Seok-jun said he filed the bill as the lead sponsor, proposing amendments to the Act on Equal Employment and Support for Work-Family Reconciliation to broaden the scope of parental leave available to male workers.

Under current law, male workers may take parental leave before childbirth only when their pregnant spouse faces risks such as miscarriage or premature birth. Calls have grown to expand the eligibility criteria, however, as more cases arise in which spousal care is needed due to the physical strain or health concerns of pregnancy — even when the spouse does not qualify as a high-risk pregnant woman.

The proposed amendment addresses those concerns by allowing male workers to take parental leave to care for a pregnant spouse regardless of whether she is classified as high-risk. It also removes restrictions tied to the spouse's employment status or whether she is already on parental leave.

"Pregnancy and childbirth place a significant physical and mental burden on expectant mothers regardless of risk level, and active support from their spouse is necessary," Song said. "If this bill passes, I expect it will help workers care for their pregnant spouses while also achieving a better balance between work and family life."


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