Reduced Working Hours for Childcare Extended to Age 12! Korea's 2026 Complete Guide
Reduced Working Hours for Childcare Extended to Children Aged 12 or Younger
On 23 February 2025, an amendment to the Act on Equal Employment and Support for Work-Family Reconciliation (남녀고용평등과 일·가정 양립 지원에 관한 법률; hereinafter the "Equal Employment Act") came into force, expanding the eligible child age for the reduced working hours for childcare (육아기 근로시간 단축) scheme from under 8 years old (up to Grade 2 of elementary school) to under 12 years old (up to Grade 6 of elementary school). This standard continues to apply in 2026.
This change is significant because it broadens the options available to parents of upper-elementary-school children — a period when childcare gaps are particularly common — allowing them to remain employed while still participating in childcare.
Note for foreign workers: The statutory entitlements described below are the legal minimum. Your employment contract or collective agreement may provide more favorable terms, but cannot fall below these standards.
What Is Reduced Working Hours for Childcare?
Reduced working hours for childcare is a scheme based on Article 19-2 of the Equal Employment Act (남녀고용평등법 제19조의2). It guarantees that workers with children under 12 years old can reduce their working hours to between 15 and 35 hours per week. Because it does not require a complete work stoppage — unlike parental leave (육아휴직) — it is especially useful for workers who want to balance childcare and employment without a career break (경력단절).
An employer must in principle grant such a request. Even where a statutory exception applies and the employer refuses — a request from a worker with less than 6 months of continuous service, or a case where the employer proves that the work cannot be divided by hours or that the reduction would seriously disrupt normal business operations — the employer must notify the employee of the reason in writing and consult on other support, such as parental leave or adjusted start and finish times (Article 19-2(1) and (2) of the Equal Employment Act and Article 15-2 of the Enforcement Decree of the Equal Employment Act, 남녀고용평등법 제19조의2 제1항·제2항 · 남녀고용평등법 시행령 제15조의2). Inability to hire a replacement worker, a former exception, was removed on 18 September 2026.
Key Change: The Additional Period Is Also Extended
A particularly important point in this amendment concerns the additional (加算) period for reduced working hours for childcare.
According to a Ministry of Employment and Labor administrative interpretation issued on 7 July 2025, workers with children over age 8 and up to age 12 (i.e., ages 9–12) may now also add twice the amount of any unused parental leave to their reduced-working-hours period.
For example, if you used only 6 months of parental leave and left 6 months unused, you can add 6 unused months × 2 = 12 months to the base reduced-hours period (up to 1 year), giving a maximum of 2 years of reduced working hours for childcare.
| Item | Before Amendment | After Amendment (from 23 Feb 2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Eligible child age | Under 8 years old | Under 12 years old |
| Additional period applicable | Children under 8 only | All children under 12 |
Eligibility Requirements and Application Procedure
- Who can apply: Workers with children under 12 years old (up to Grade 6 of elementary school)
- When to apply: Submit a written application to the employer at least 30 days before the intended start date of the reduction
- Duration: Base maximum of 1 year + additional period of twice any unused parental leave
- Split use: May be used in installments of at least 1 month each under Article 19-4(2) of the Equal Employment Act (남녀고용평등법 제19조의4 제2항)
During the reduced-hours period, Employment Insurance pays a reduced-working-hours childcare allowance (육아기 근로시간 단축 급여), and the employer pays wages in proportion to the reduced working hours.
Use It Strategically Together with Parental Leave
Parental leave under Article 19 of the Equal Employment Act (남녀고용평등법 제19조) and reduced working hours for childcare can be used sequentially or in combination. A common approach is to take parental leave for intensive childcare when a child is young, then switch to reduced working hours after the child starts elementary school. Thanks to this amendment, that strategy can now be maintained all the way through upper elementary school.
Explore More at Workbear
If you want to know whether you can receive unemployment benefits (실업급여) during parental leave, or how much your take-home pay will change after switching to reduced working hours, try the unemployment benefit eligibility checker and net salary calculator at Workbear (workbear.kr). They make complex calculations quick and easy.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific cases, consult a certified labor attorney (노무사) or lawyer.
Frequently Asked Questions
I have a child who is 12 years old. Should I choose parental leave or reduced working hours for childcare?
If your child is 12, parental leave is not available and you can apply only for reduced working hours for childcare: parental leave covers children aged 8 or younger or in the second grade of elementary school or below , while reduced working hours for childcare cover children aged 12 or younger or in the sixth grade or below Article 19 1 and Article 19-2 1 of the Equal Employment Act, 남녀고용평등법 제19조 제1항 · 제19조의2 제1항 . Parental leave means fully stopping work for up to 1 year if both parents each take at least 3 months of parental leave for the same child, each may take up to 6 more months — up to 1 year and 6 months in total; Article 19 2 of the Act on Equal Employment and Support for Work-Family Reconciliation / 남녀고용평등과 일·가정 양립 지원에 관한 법률 제19조 제2항 , while reduced working hours for childcare lets you work 15–35 hours per week while caring for your child. If you have unused parental leave, twice that unused period can be added to your reduced-hours period Article 19-2 4 of the Equal Employment Act, 남녀고용평등법 제19조의2 제4항 .
How much pay do I receive during reduced working hours for childcare?
Employment Insurance pays a reduced-working-hours childcare allowance. Based on your ordinary wages before the reduction, 100% of ordinary wages is paid for the first 10 hours of weekly reduction monthly cap KRW 2,500,000 , and 80% of ordinary wages for the remaining reduced hours monthly cap KRW 1,600,000 Article 104-2 2 of the Enforcement Decree of the Employment Insurance Act / 고용보험법 시행령 제104조의2 제2항 . Upper and lower limits are set separately under the Enforcement Decree of the Employment Insurance Act, so please check the Employment Insurance website for the current figures.
Can an employer refuse a request for reduced working hours for childcare?
Under Article 19-2 of the Act on Equal Employment and Support for Work-Family Reconciliation 남녀고용평등과 일·가정 양립 지원에 관한 법률 제19조의2 , an employer must in principle grant a request for reduced working hours for childcare. The employer may refuse only where a statutory exception applies — a request from a worker with less than 6 months of continuous service, or a case where the employer proves that the work cannot be divided by hours or that the reduction would seriously disrupt normal business operations Article 15-2 of the Enforcement Decree of the Equal Employment Act, 남녀고용평등법 시행령 제15조의2 . In that case the employer must notify the employee of the reason in writing and consult on other support, such as parental leave or adjusted start and finish times Article 19-2 2 of the Equal Employment Act, 남녀고용평등법 제19조의2 제2항 . Inability to hire a replacement worker, a former exception, was removed on 18 September 2026.
If I have already used all one year of parental leave, can I still use reduced working hours for childcare on top of that?
The base period for reduced working hours for childcare is up to one year, and the additional period is twice the amount of any unused parental leave. If you have used all one year of parental leave, there is no unused period to add, so reduced working hours for childcare is available only within the base one-year limit.