👶 South Korea Parental Leave Pay Calculator
Enter your ordinary monthly wage and months of leave to see what Korea's Employment Insurance pays each month and in total — including the 6+6 plan for parents who both take leave and the single-parent rules.
Monthly payments
How to use it
Choose the type, then enter your ordinary monthly wage (pre-tax) and the number of months of leave. You'll see the benefit for each month and the total. If both parents take leave while the child is under 18 months old, choose 6+6 and enter your spouse's wage and months too — you'll see each parent's monthly pay, the combined total and how much more you get than with standard leave. The table lists the rate, cap and actual payment for every month.
This calculator covers South Korea's parental leave benefit (육아휴직 급여), paid by Employment Insurance. It applies to anyone insured in Korea — including foreign residents — who meets the conditions below.
2026 parental leave pay rules
An amendment effective February 23, 2025 raised the caps sharply and abolished the deferred payment. The same rules apply as of October 2026.
| Period | Rate | Monthly cap |
|---|---|---|
| Months 1–3 | 100% of ordinary wage | ₩2.5M |
| Months 4–6 | 100% of ordinary wage | ₩2.0M |
| Month 7 onward (incl. months 13–18) | 80% of ordinary wage | ₩1.6M |
| Minimum (all months) | ₩700,000 per month | |
- No more deferred payment Previously 25% was held back until you had worked 6 months after returning. Now the full amount is paid every month during leave.
- Length Up to 1 year per child, extended to 1 year 6 months if each parent takes at least 3 months, or for single parents and parents of a child with a severe disability. The extra 6 months are paid at 80%, capped at ₩1.6M.
- Tax The benefit is tax-free, so the result is what you actually receive.
The 6+6 parental leave plan (both parents)
When both parents take leave (at the same time or one after the other) while the child is under 18 months old, each parent's first 6 months pay 100% of the ordinary wage with a cap that rises month by month. From month 7, the standard rules (80%, capped at ₩1.6M) apply. In Korean this is the 6+6 부모육아휴직제.
| Each parent's month | Rate | Monthly cap |
|---|---|---|
| Month 1 | 100% | ₩2.5M |
| Month 2 | 100% | ₩2.5M |
| Month 3 | 100% | ₩3M |
| Month 4 | 100% | ₩3.5M |
| Month 5 | 100% | ₩4M |
| Month 6 | 100% | ₩4.5M |
| Month 7 onward | 80% | ₩1.6M |
If both parents earn ₩4.5M or more and each takes 6 months, each receives up to 2.5 + 2.5 + 3 + 3.5 + 4 + 4.5 = ₩20M — ₩40M combined. Under standard rules the same leave would pay ₩13.5M each, so the couple gets ₩13M more. With lower wages the caps aren't reached, so the gain is smaller.
Single parents
Single-parent workers (under Korea's Single-Parent Family Support Act) get a ₩3M cap for months 1–3 (100%), then the standard rules (₩2M for months 4–6, 80% capped at ₩1.6M from month 7). They can take up to 1 year 6 months without the both-parents requirement.
How it's calculated
- Monthly benefit
min(ordinary wage × rate, that month's cap), but never less than ₩700,000. - Ordinary wage (tongsang imgeum, 통상임금) is your base pay plus fixed allowances paid regularly and uniformly every month. Performance bonuses, variable allowances and overtime pay are excluded. Ask HR for your ordinary wage as of the start of leave.
- Example: ordinary wage ₩3M, standard 12 months:
2.5M×3 + 2M×3 + 1.6M×6 = ₩23.1M. For 18 months, add 1.6M×6 for ₩32.7M. - Example: ordinary wage ₩2.2M, standard 12 months: months 1–3 pay ₩2.2M (below the ₩2.5M cap), months 4–6 pay the ₩2M cap, and from month 7
2.2M × 80% = 1.76M → capped at 1.6M, for a total of6.6M + 6M + 9.6M = ₩22.2M.
Eligibility and how to apply
- You must take at least 30 days of leave and have at least 180 days of Employment Insurance coverage before the leave starts.
- Apply monthly from one month after the leave starts, online at Work24 (work24.go.kr) or at your local employment center, and no later than 12 months after the leave ends.
- Money from your employer or income from other work during leave can reduce or cancel the benefit.
- The child must be 8 or younger, or in 2nd grade of elementary school or below. Leave can be split into several periods.
Tips
- Planning for both parents? Do it within 18 months The 6+6 caps apply only while the child is under 18 months; if the second parent waits too long, the standard rules apply.
- 3 months each If either parent takes less than 3 months, the 18-month extension doesn't apply, and this calculator stops at 12 months.
- Partial months First and last months shorter than a full month are prorated by day. This calculator assumes full months, so those months may differ slightly.
- Reduced working hours Pay for reduced working hours during childcare follows separate rules and isn't included here.
This calculator reflects the payment rules published by Work24 (parental leave benefit guide) and the Ministry of Employment and Labor as of October 2026 and is for reference only. Actual payments depend on how your ordinary wage is calculated, your leave dates and any reductions. Check with Work24's simulator, the Ministry of Employment and Labor call center (1350, foreign-language support available) or your local employment center.