육아휴직 급여 2026 핵심 정리: 지급액·상한·6+6 부모육아휴직제·신청 방법

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Parental leave benefit in 2026: amounts, caps, the 6+6 scheme and how to apply

Last checked: 20 October 2026 · compared against 5 official sources opened that day

Parental leave benefit has changed several times in recent years, so figures found online are often out of date. We downloaded the Enforcement Decree of the Employment Insurance Act in the version in force since 18 September 2026, the Employment Insurance Act and the Equal Employment Opportunity and Work-Family Balance Act again on 20 October 2026 and checked every amount below. We also explain how the rules apply to foreign workers.

Who qualifies

Under Article 70 of the Employment Insurance Act, an insured worker qualifies if they take at least 30 days of parental leave (7 days for short leave), not counting days that overlap maternity leave, and have at least 180 days of insured employment in total before the leave starts. Leave can be taken to raise a child aged 8 or under or in the second year of primary school or below, including adopted children; pregnant workers, and men caring for a pregnant spouse at risk, can also take it. Employers may not dismiss or disadvantage you because of the leave, may not dismiss you during it, and must return you to the same job or one with the same pay; the leave counts as service.

How long

Leave lasts up to one year, plus up to six months more for a parent when both parents have each taken at least three months for the same child, for single parents and for parents of a disabled child. Short leave of one or two weeks can be taken once a year for reasons such as school holidays, closures or a child's illness, and counts toward the total. If many requests fall in the school holidays and the business would be seriously disrupted, the employer may change the timing after consulting you, and must tell you the reason and the new dates in writing. For benefit purposes short leave needs only seven days, not thirty.

Monthly amounts under the standard rules

The benefit is based on your monthly ordinary wage on the day the leave starts. Months 1 to 3 pay 100% of it, capped at 2.5 million won; months 4 to 6 pay 100%, capped at 2 million won; from month 7 to the end, 80%, capped at 1.6 million won. The minimum is 700,000 won in every month. Split periods are added together to work out the month number, and part months are paid in proportion to the days on leave. The old rule that held back part of the benefit until after you returned has been deleted. For example, someone with a 3 million won ordinary wage on leave alone for 12 months receives 7.5 million + 6 million + 9.6 million = 23.1 million won.

The 6+6 scheme: higher caps when both parents take leave

If both parents take leave for the same child before the child is 18 months old (the periods need not overlap), each parent receives 100% of their ordinary wage for their first six months, with monthly caps of 2.5, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0 and 4.5 million won, and a minimum of 700,000 won. From month 7 the standard 80% rule with a 1.6 million won cap applies. One parent can receive up to 20 million won over six months, and a couple up to 40 million. Using fewer than six months applies the table for the months used. Example: a mother earning 3 million won and a father earning 4 million won, six months each, receive 17 million and 19.5 million won, 36.5 million in total, compared with 27 million under the standard rules. Leave during pregnancy treats the unborn child as the child, and since an August 2026 amendment that includes men on leave to care for a pregnant spouse.

Single parents

Single parents under the Single-Parent Family Support Act have a 3 million won cap for months 1 to 3; months 4 to 6 and later follow the standard rules. They can also take six extra months of leave.

Check your monthly ordinary wage

The benefit follows your ordinary wage, not your total pay. Article 6 of the Labor Standards Act decree defines it as the hourly, daily, weekly or monthly amount fixed in advance to be paid regularly and uniformly for contracted work. Variable overtime pay is usually left out, so people whose take-home pay depends on overtime may receive less than they expect. Compare your last payslip with your contract to see which items are fixed.

Planning as a couple

Mark the date your child turns 18 months, since both parents must start leave before it for the 6+6 rule. Check that each of you has 180 insured days. Because the 6+6 caps rise from the third month, the parent with the higher ordinary wage gains most from using all six months. The two periods may overlap or follow each other. Finally, set reminders for each first application, one month after the leave starts, and for the 12-month deadline after it ends.

When and how to apply

Apply from one month after the leave starts and within 12 months after it ends; miss that and you may lose the benefit. Applications go through Work24, the public employment portal, or your local job centre, and the 1350 call centre answers questions. Declare any new job or resignation during the leave: the benefit stops from the day you leave the company, payments from your employer for the leave can reduce it, and a false or fraudulent claim stops the benefit from that day.

Foreign workers

Article 10-2 of the Employment Insurance Act applies the Act to workers covered by the Act on Foreign Workers, such as E-9 holders, but applies Chapter 5, which contains parental leave benefit, only after an application under ministry rules. Other foreign nationals are covered in whole or in part according to the decree, depending on their status and period of stay. Before your leave, confirm with a job centre that you are covered and have 180 insured days, and check that your period of stay will not expire during the leave.