The number of South Korean workers who took time off to take care of their children rose 18.6 percent in 2022 from a year earlier on the back of more government support for parental leave, government data showed.

A total of 131,087 workers took parental leave to take care of their children last year, up 20,532 from the previous year, according to the data by the Ministry of Employment and Labor.

Women accounted for 71.1 percent of the workers on leave last year, far outnumbering their male counterparts, the ministry said.

Yet, the number of male workers going on paternity leave gradually increased to account for 28.9 percent of the total last year, the data showed. The percentage was a mere 8.5 percent in 2016.

The increase can be attributed to more couples raising their children together and policies encouraging men to take leave, such as increased monthly allowances, it said. (Yonhap)