Starting February 11, the maternity leave for local government employees' spouses will increase from the current 10 days to 20 days. Additionally, in cases of premature births, the current 90 days will be extended by 10 days to a total of 100 days of maternity leave.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety noted on the 4th that a revision of the 'Regulations on the Service of Local Government Officials (Presidential Decree)' containing these details was approved at the State Council meeting.
In conjunction, the government will also revise the 'Guidelines on the Service of Local Government Officials (Ministry of Interior and Safety Regulation)' to adjust the detailed operational matters necessary for the implementation of the regulations.
The core of this amendment is to extend the duration of maternity leave for local government employees' spouses and to increase the number of times it can be partitioned and the deadlines for use.
First, the duration of maternity leave for spouses will be expanded from 10 days to 20 days. For multiple births, it will increase from 15 days to 25 days.
The deadlines for using and the number of times maternity leave can be split will also increase. According to the revised regulations, leave can be used in 3 instances (5 for multiple births) within 120 days (150 days for multiple births) from the birth date. Previously, the maternity leave for spouses could be split once (twice for multiple births) within 90 days (120 days for multiple births) from the birth date.
For those who give birth prematurely and have their newborns admitted to intensive care within 1 day, the maternity leave will be extended from the current 90 days to 100 days. A premature infant, according to the Mother and Child Health Act Enforcement Decree, refers to a newborn born before 37 weeks of gestation or a child weighing less than 2500g at birth.
Deputy Minister Kim Min-jae said, 'We will actively create a family-friendly working environment that allows public officials to comfortably give birth and raise children while also concentrating on their duties,' and noted that 'we will continue to gather diverse opinions from local governments and the field for ongoing system improvements.'