Amendment to the "Local Government Officials Service Regulations" Approved
Mandatory Approval of Maternity Protection Time by Personnel Authority
Pregnancy Checkup Accompaniment Leave Granted to Male Public Officials
From now on, "maternity protection time" will be guaranteed for pregnant female public officials to rest or receive medical treatment. Male public officials will also be able to take leave to accompany their spouses to medical checkups during pregnancy.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced that the amendment to the "Local Government Officials Service Regulations," which includes these provisions, was approved at the Cabinet meeting on the 15th and will take effect from the 22nd.
This amendment mandates that if a female public official who is within 12 weeks of pregnancy or after 32 weeks applies to use maternity protection time, the personnel authority must approve the request.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced on the 15th that the amendment to the "Local Government Officials Service Regulations," which guarantees "maternity protection time" for pregnant female public officials to rest or receive medical treatment, was approved at the Cabinet meeting. Yonhap News
Until now, pregnant female public officials could use up to two hours of maternity protection time per day during pregnancy, but the personnel authority had the discretion to approve or deny the request, which sometimes made it difficult for employees to use the time freely. However, going forward, approval by the personnel authority will be mandatory when maternity protection time is requested, ensuring that female public officials in the early or late stages of pregnancy have their right to rest protected.
In addition, male public officials who accompany their spouses to medical checkups during pregnancy will be able to use up to 10 days of "pregnancy checkup accompaniment leave." Currently, female public officials can use up to 10 days of leave for pregnancy checkups, but male public officials have had to use their own annual leave to accompany their spouses. With the introduction of this special leave, male public officials will also be able to take pregnancy checkup accompaniment leave, allowing them to participate in caregiving from the pregnancy stage.
Furthermore, it will now be possible to use paternity leave even before the spouse gives birth. Currently, paternity leave (20 days for single births, 25 days for multiple births) can only be used within 120 days (150 days for multiple births) after the spouse gives birth. The government has now expanded the period so that paternity leave can be used from 30 days before the expected due date to within 120 days (150 days for multiple births) after the birth.
Kim Minjae, Vice Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, stated, "We will actively create working conditions that enable local government officials to give birth and raise children with peace of mind while also focusing on their duties during pregnancy, childbirth, and childcare." He added, "We will continue to gather diverse opinions from local governments and the field to improve the system so that public officials can truly feel the changes during pregnancy and childbirth."
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