Yeoncheon-gun, a Local Extinction Risk Area, Implements Bold Childcare Environment Improvement Measures

Yeoncheon-gun, Gyeonggi Province, revised and issued the Yeoncheon-gun Public Service Worker Management Regulations on the 17th to improve the childcare environment for public service workers.

A view of Yeoncheon County Office. Provided by Yeoncheon County.

This revised regulation adds various and effective support measures beyond the childcare support systems stipulated in labor-related laws such as the 「Labor Standards Act」.

The main points are as follows: First, public service workers with children aged 8 or younger or in the 2nd grade or below in elementary school can use up to 2 hours of childcare time per day within a 36-month period by applying the local public official service regulations.

This system allows public service workers in Yeoncheon-gun to use 2 hours of childcare time per day for up to 72 months without any wage reduction, independently from labor-related laws.

Second, pregnant female public service workers can use up to 2 hours per day for rest or medical treatment as maternity protection time by applying the local public official service regulations.

While the Labor Standards Act allows only female workers within 12 weeks after pregnancy or after 36 weeks to use the reduced working hours system, pregnant public service workers in Yeoncheon-gun can receive 2 hours of special leave per day simply by being pregnant.

Additionally, the number of paid family care leave days has been expanded beyond the Equal Employment Opportunity Act by adding one day per child.

Yoon Seung-won, Administrative Officer of Yeoncheon-gun, stated that this revision aims to overcome low birth rates through bold improvements in the childcare environment, as Yeoncheon-gun faces the risk of local extinction due to population decline.

Kim Deok-hyun, Mayor of Yeoncheon-gun, said, "For public officials, it is practically difficult to introduce independent childcare environment improvement systems due to legal restrictions. I hope the central government will actively introduce improvements to childcare-related service systems or boldly delegate that authority to local governments so that each local government can improve the childcare environment according to its characteristics."