Translation result.
Paid leave for workers undergoing infertility treatment will be expanded from two days to four days, and government support will likewise be extended to four days.
Last year, roughly 300,000 people benefited from the prenatal health-management program — which covers women’s ovarian reserve tests (AMH) and men’s semen analyses — marking a sharp year-over-year increase.
On the 23rd, the Ministry of Employment and Labor said the National Assembly passed amendments to the Equal Employment Act, the Act on Support for Work-Family Balance, and the Employment Insurance Act that expand the period of paid infertility-treatment leave.
Under the revised law, the paid portion of the six-day infertility-treatment leave available to male and female workers will increase from two days to four. The government will also extend financial support to cover four days for eligible employers. Employers must grant up to six days of leave per year when workers request time off for infertility treatment — including artificial insemination or in vitro fertilization — and employers who fail to comply may face fines of up to 5,000,000 KRW (approximately $3,750).
For eligible employers, the government will pay wages for the first four days of infertility-treatment leave. The support equals 100% of ordinary wages, with a daily cap of 84,210 KRW (approximately $63.16). The remaining two days will be unpaid. The expansion of paid leave will take effect six months after the amended law is promulgated.
Infertility-treatment leave applies to both men and women and may be used for the time required by medical procedures such as artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization; for essential pre-procedure visits (fertility testing, ovulation induction, etc.); and for immediate post-procedure recovery and rest.
The government’s expanded pregnancy supports have also driven a significant increase in the number of people receiving so-called fertility tests.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare reported that 291,246 people aged 20 to 49 received support last year through the prenatal health-management program (fertility-test cost support). Launched in April 2024, the program initially targeted people aged 20 to 40; it covers women’s ovarian reserve tests (AMH) and gynecological ultrasound fees up to 130,000 KRW (approximately $97.50), and men’s semen tests up to 50,000 KRW (approximately $37.50).
Last year’s recipients more than tripled from 77,989 people in the previous year (April–December). Even accounting for the 2024 support period lasting only nine months, the number of beneficiaries rose sharply. The ministry has steadily expanded both eligibility and the scale of the support program.
Whereas the program offered a one-time benefit to couples preparing for pregnancy in 2024, last year the government broadened eligibility to all men and women aged 20–49 — regardless of marriage or number of children — allowing up to one benefit per life stage for a maximum of three times.
Meanwhile, the National Data Office reported on the 22nd that births in February 2026 totaled 22,898, up 13.6% from the same month last year and the highest February total in seven years.
Sejong — Reporter Lee Won-bae lwb21@viva100.com
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