Civil servants in South Korea who need fertility treatment will be able to take up to two years of newly created fertility leave, instead of sick leave, starting late this year.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Ministry of Personnel Management said on the 17th that they had given public notice of proposed amendments to the decrees on the appointment of national and local public officials. The step follows the passage in June of revisions to the State Public Officials Act and the Local Public Officials Act, which created the new leave category.
Under the amendments, fertility leave may be taken when an official undergoes fertility treatment, including assisted reproductive procedures. The leave runs for up to one year and can be extended by another year in unavoidable cases.
Appointing authorities are required, as a rule, to approve requests for the leave. They may make a separate judgment, however, if an official has already used two years of fertility leave for one child or if there are special circumstances in managing staffing. They may also seek advice from a committee that includes outside experts if needed.
To prevent abuse of the system, the government also plans to set out the documentation required for taking and returning from leave, as well as standards for managing officials on leave. Fertility leave takes effect Dec. 3. Until then, officials must continue to use sick leave.
