Gwangju City to Provide 2 Million Won Support for Parental Leave Replacement Workers

First Implementation This Year... Applications Open from the 10th
Alleviating Labor Shortages for Companies, Creating Jobs for Job Seekers

Gwangju City Hall building exterior.

Gwangju City announced on the 8th that it will implement the 'Parental Leave Substitute Worker Support Program' to address the work gaps caused by employees on parental leave in local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and to create a stable business environment for companies. Applications will be accepted starting from the 10th.

This program provides direct financial support to workers who are hired or dispatched as substitutes for employees on parental leave at local SMEs, provided they work for a certain period.

If a substitute worker remains employed for three months, they will receive 1 million KRW, and if they work up to six months, an additional 1 million KRW, for a maximum of 2 million KRW per person. This reflects feedback from the field that companies struggle to find substitutes because job seekers are reluctant to take temporary or part-time substitute positions. The program was newly established this year to alleviate labor shortages for companies and to incentivize job seekers to consider substitute positions.

Eligible applicants are those who have been hired as parental leave substitute workers after January 1 of this year and belong to priority support companies receiving parental leave substitute wage subsidies from the Ministry of Employment and Labor. Applications can be submitted by uploading the required documents to the Gwangju City website starting from the 10th. After a document review, support will be provided to approximately 200 workers who meet the criteria.

The city plans to collaborate with the Gwangju Employment and Welfare Plus Center of the Gwangju Employment and Labor Office to help SMEs struggling to recruit substitute workers and to foster an environment where employees can freely take parental leave.

Lee Gyaedu, Director of Labor and Employment Policy, said, "We expect this program to promote labor market entry for vulnerable groups such as youth and women with career interruptions, and to help resolve recruitment difficulties for SMEs. We will continue to develop and support various programs to promote a work-life balance culture."