Parental Leave Reforms in South Korea, 1995–2021: Policy Translation and Institutional Legacies

Abstract

Abstract This article aims to explore how policy translation and institutional legacies have shaped South Korean parental leave policies between 1995 and 2021. It draws on a document analysis of central political documents and interviews with a number of key policy actors in South Korea. The findings show that reforms of parental leave policies were implemented according to four major rationales: maternity protection; combating low-fertility rates; (working mothers’) work–family life reconciliation; and, finally, men's involvement in childcare. Swedish parental leave policies, especially the introduction of the quota system (the “daddy month”), served as inspiration. The current design of Korean parental leave differs, however, from that of Sweden, and is analyzed as a result of localized reforms surrounding plummeting fertility rates and institutional legacies, mainly connected to the organization of the labor market.