Data showed Sunday that the amount of parental leave benefits paid to foreign nationals in South Korea has doubled in a year, indicating that more foreign workers are putting down roots and raising families here rather than coming solely for short-term employment.
According to Ministry of Employment and Labor data cited by Rep. Park Soo-min of the People Power Party, a total of 36.45 billion won ($26.2 million) was paid to foreign nationals in parental leave benefits in 2025, more than double the 18.15 billion won paid in 2024.
The sharp increase was partly attributable to a rise in the benefit ceiling, from 1.5 million won per month to as much as 2.5 million won. But a substantial increase in the number of recipients also contributed, up 50 percent from a year earlier to 2,031 last year.
The increase came amid a broader 39.1 percent rise in parental leave benefit recipients nationwide, driven in part by expanded benefits and growing uptake of parental leave among fathers.
Still, foreign recipients increased at a faster pace than the overall rate, pushing up their share of all recipients from 1.0 percent to 1.1 percent last year. The proportion rose further to 1.2 percent in the January-July period this year, with 1,476 foreign nationals having received the benefit.
Park said the increase reflects a broader trend of foreign workers settling in Korea and forming families here.
He also called on the government to take parental leave and family formation into account when developing policies concerning foreign workers, rather than focusing solely on labor inflows and employment management.
Under the Employment Insurance Act, workers generally must have accumulated at least 180 days of insured employment before beginning parental leave to qualify for such benefits.
Like Korean nationals, foreign workers legally employed in Korea are, in principle, required to enroll in the employment insurance system and pay premiums. Once covered by the relevant provisions of the system, they are subject to the same eligibility requirements for parental leave benefits as Korean workers.
As one of the largest groups of foreign residents in Korea, ethnic Koreans from China accounted for the largest number of recipients and the largest amount paid, with 1,154 people receiving a combined 22.6 billion won between 2024 and July this year.
Vietnamese and other Chinese nationals followed, with 895 and 652 recipients receiving a combined 12.87 billion won and 11.54 billion won, respectively.
Among nationals of other major countries, 366 Americans, 262 Japanese and 177 Canadians received parental leave benefits over the same period. They received a combined 5.44 billion won, 4.99 billion won and 3.08 billion won, respectively.
forestjs@heraldcorp.com
