100 Million KRW per Person for "Maternity Leave"
Support for Employees at Local Small and Medium-Sized Businesses
The Gwangju Work-Family Balance Support Center announced on the 26th that it is implementing the "Employment Retention Support Project for Pregnant Working Moms," which provides financial support to small and medium-sized business owners in the region to cover the costs incurred due to maternity leave.
This project reimburses the indirect labor costs (such as health insurance premiums and retirement reserves) that employers of small and medium-sized businesses (with fewer than 100 employees) must fully bear without support from the Ministry of Employment and Labor when a pregnant employee takes maternity leave for three months (or four months in the case of multiple births). Each pregnant employee is eligible for 1 million KRW in support.
Gwangju City first implemented this project in 2021 to help pregnant women balance work and family life, making it the first of its kind nationwide. Starting this year, in addition to maternity leave, providing "paid fetal examination time (regular health check-ups for pregnant women)" has been added as a mandatory requirement.
Businesses with fewer than 100 employees (enrolled in employment insurance) that maintain employment of pregnant employees can apply if they guarantee maternity leave through the automatic parental leave system and provide paid fetal examination time in addition to annual leave.
After applying, employers can receive the support fund by submitting documents such as the integrated application for maternity and parental leave and confirmation of providing fetal examination time as proof of employment retention. Applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis (up to 50 cases) from the 25th until the budget is exhausted. Related documents can be submitted via email, and detailed information is available on the websites of Gwangju City and the Work-Family Balance Support Center.
Yoon Geonyeol, head of the Work-Family Balance Support Center, said, "For pregnant working moms, balancing work and family requires both consideration for maternity protection in the workplace and the ability to take parental leave comfortably after childbirth. While government policies to address low birth rates are expanding, we will continue to promote family-friendly management through Gwangju City's unique policies that fill the gaps and shortcomings."
Meanwhile, the Gwangju Work-Family Balance Support Center is also supporting the "Mampeonhan Package" for pregnant women, providing one-stop labor counseling and rights protection, and implementing various projects to help working parents balance work and family life.
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