The State Proposes Mandatory Paternity Leave with 100% Guarantee of Ordinary Wages
Military Service Equality Remains at Proposal Stage without Concrete Solutions
The third-party political party ‘Saeroun Seontaek’ (New Choice), founded by former lawmaker Geum Tae-seop and Justice Party lawmaker Ryu Ho-jeong, raised the issue of equal military service between men and women in relation to gender conflicts and gender issues. As part of measures to address low birth rates, they also proposed mandatory parental leave for men, with the state guaranteeing 100% of their ordinary wages.
At a press conference held at the National Assembly, former lawmaker Geum and lawmaker Ryu stated, "Our country needs a ‘second phase of gender equality’" and presented a policy of "gender equality from military service to household chores."
Former lawmaker Geum argued, "Recent academic discussions point out that ambiguous gender equality is a cause of ultra-low birth rates," adding, "Only by achieving clearer and more comprehensive gender equality can the low birth rate problem be solved." He explained, "It is not that birth rates decline because women's rights have improved, but rather that while the economy grows, the level of gender equality does not rise accordingly and only improves ambiguously, leading to extremely low birth rates. If the first phase of gender equality was about enabling women to participate in the labor market, the second phase means that not only women but also men equally share household responsibilities."
Regarding this issue, he cited military service as a fundamental obstacle and said, "To achieve gender equality at home, social consensus on gender equality in military service must also be reached," adding, "Saeroun Seontaek proposes to initiate social discussions related to gender equality in military service."
However, no specific measures regarding military service were presented. Through policy materials, Saeroun Seontaek explained, "We are not proposing to immediately implement conscription for women," but emphasized, "Discussions must start now. We need to lay the groundwork for social consensus."
They also proposed the full implementation of parental leave for men. Former lawmaker Geum said, "The state should take full responsibility for the cost of parental leave, and companies should be obligated to implement it," adding, "During parental leave, the government will compensate 100% of ordinary wages and enforce this, guaranteeing that both parents can confidently take one year of parental leave."
At the press conference, lawmaker Ryu addressed gender conflicts, saying, "The established political parties do not fully understand the seriousness of this issue," and criticized, "They have engaged in politics that do not help resolve conflicts, such as joining in criticism of short hairstyles or the convenience store tongs controversy." He stated, "I will not engage in feminist politics based on the premise that ‘all men are perpetrators,’" and also addressed those who claim to represent young men, saying, "Feminism is not a mental illness. Political resources should not be sought from such sentiments or claims." He continued, "Let’s discuss the real issues for gender equality," proposing, "Let’s address how to solve problems such as forced career sacrifices for women, low birth rates caused by fixed gender roles, and whether quotas are truly depriving men of opportunities, and work through these issues and challenges."
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