Buk-gu Gwangju Offers Up to 900,000 Won Incentive for Fathers Taking Parental Leave

300,000 KRW per Month, Up to 3 Months Provided
"Expecting Increased Male Participation in Childcare"

Gwangju Buk-gu will begin providing the city’s first-ever ‘Paternity Leave Incentive’ starting March 4.

According to Buk-gu on the 26th, this program is designed to reduce the financial burden and encourage male participation in childcare by providing male workers on parental leave with 300,000 KRW per month for up to three months.

Exterior view of Gwangju Bukgu Government Office.

The eligible recipients are male workers receiving parental leave benefits under the Employment Insurance Act, who must have been registered residents of Buk-gu for at least six months as of the application date. The child in question must also be a resident of Buk-gu. Applications are available for those on parental leave as of January 1, 2025, or later.

Applications can be submitted by the person on parental leave or their spouse. After a document review, selected recipients will receive the incentive in their personal bank account by the 20th of the following month. Payments for January and February of this year will also be provided retroactively. Applications can be submitted via Government24 or by visiting the district office, and will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis until the budget is exhausted.

District Mayor Moon In said, “I hope this incentive will help reduce the burden of childcare and serve as an opportunity to expand male participation in parenting.”