When you take parental leave in Korea, you receive parental leave benefit instead of salary. Enter your ordinary wage and duration below and the calculator returns the total.
1. What it pays. After the 2025 reform: 100% of ordinary wage for months 1–3 (cap ₩2.5M), 100% for months 4–6 (₩2.0M), 80% from month 7 (₩1.6M), with a floor of ₩700,000. The dual-parent 6+6 scheme is selectable too.
2. What people miss. A higher cap does nothing if your ordinary wage sits below it — the 100% tier means the ceiling is ₩2.5M, not that you receive ₩2.5M. And 6+6 applies, per the source, only “for as long as both parents used leave in common.”
3. How to use it. The widely repeated “deferred payment has been abolished” has no basis in the current statute — Enforcement Decree art. 95(4) reads “Deleted <24 Dec 2024>.” But the guidance pages still carry the old wording, so this calculator shows the total only and does not assert a payment date.
2026 basis · 100% of ordinary wage (months 1–6), 80% (month 7+), caps ₩2.5M/2.0M/1.6M, floor ₩700k. 6+6 applies only for the months both parents used in common and shows one parent's share (caps ₩2.5M–4.5M). The payment date is not asserted here — see §Where to check further. This is an estimate; the actual amount depends on the employment center's review.
What changed in 2025
It used to be 80% of ordinary wage (₩1.5M cap), and 25% of that was withheld under a “deferred payment” rule until six months after returning to work. The 2025 reform raised the caps and added 100% tiers. The claim that the deferred payment was abolished along with it is widespread, but we could not confirm it in the Employment 24 source — we set that out separately below.
| Period | Rate | Monthly cap |
|---|---|---|
| Months 1–3 | 100% of ordinary wage | ₩2.5M |
| Months 4–6 | 100% | ₩2.0M |
| Month 7+ | 80% | ₩1.6M |
The monthly floor is ₩700,000. Full conditions are in our 2026 parental leave guide.
Both parents = the “6+6” bonus
If both parents take leave for a child under 18 months, each gets 100% of ordinary wage for the first six months, with a cap that rises each month. Select a 6+6 option in the calculator to apply it.
| Month | Cap (per parent) |
|---|---|
| Months 1–2 | ₩2.5M |
| Month 3 | ₩3.0M |
| Month 4 | ₩3.5M |
| Month 5 | ₩4.0M |
| Month 6 | ₩4.5M |
Three conditions attach. The Employment 24 source says the scheme applies “when both parents take parental leave (simultaneously or sequentially) within 18 months of the child's birth”, and adds “even if the parents use less than six months, it applies for as long as they used leave in common.”
That is why this calculator makes you pick the number of months that overlapped with your spouse. If your spouse took only two months, the 6+6 caps apply to two months only.
“Both parents taking leave always pays more” is not true. If the overlap is one or two months, the total does not move a single won. See the 6+6 guide for how to use it.
Total by ordinary wage (standard, 12 months)
Because of the caps, totals converge once ordinary wage passes ₩2.5M. A quick reference:
| Monthly ordinary wage | 12-month total (standard) |
|---|---|
| ₩1.5M | about ₩16.2M |
| ₩2.0M | about ₩21.6M |
| ₩2.5M or more | about ₩23.1M |
For your exact figure and the 6+6 amount, use the calculator above.
Put that table on a wage axis and you can see exactly where it stops.
Example: ₩3M ordinary wage, 12 months
Say your ordinary wage is ₩3M and you take 12 months. ① Months 1–3: 100% but capped at ₩2.5M → ₩7.5M. ② Months 4–6: capped at ₩2.0M → ₩6.0M. ③ Months 7–12: 80% would be ₩2.4M but the cap is ₩1.6M → ₩9.6M. ④ Total about ₩23.1M. If your spouse also takes leave and 6+6 applies, the first-six-month caps rise and the total grows. For handling the lump sum after returning, see paying off loans vs saving.
Split it by month and it becomes clear who the phrase “100% of wage” is actually true for.
Before you apply — checklist
- ☐ Know your monthly ordinary wage (base pay + fixed allowances)
- ☐ Meet eligibility (180+ days of employment insurance coverage, etc.)
- ☐ The mother's 90 days of maternity-leave benefit come first and separately — capped at 6.6m won, split by firm size
- ☐ If your spouse can take leave too, compare 6+6
- ☐ Parental leave vs reduced working hours — which suits you
- ☐ Apply via the employment center (Employment 24) after leave starts
How this calculator computes. When 100% of ordinary wage exceeds the cap, the cap applies (above ₩2.5M, months 1–3 are computed at ₩2.5M). From month 7 it takes the lower of 80% of ordinary wage and the ₩1.6M cap, and if the result falls below the ₩700k floor it applies the floor — but never above your ordinary wage. For 6+6 it applies the raised caps only up to the overlap months you selected, and shows one parent's share. Civil servants and private-school pension members may follow separate rules; check with your institution.
“Was the deferred payment abolished?” — not in the current statute
The Employment 24 guidance never announces it, and the menu still carries a “check your deferred payment” item. Article 95 of the Employment Insurance Act Enforcement Decree tells a different story.
The article's last line reads:
“(4) Deleted <24 December 2024>”
The current Article 95 runs only from paragraph 1 to paragraph 3, and nowhere does it mention “six months after returning” or paying any part later.
We checked the parent statute too. Article 70 of the Employment Insurance Act contains no provision splitting the benefit, and its paragraph 4 delegates the whole thing: “the amount of parental leave benefit under paragraph 1 shall be prescribed by Presidential Decree.”
So this is how we now put it — nothing in the current legislation (Act art. 70 plus Decree art. 95) provides a basis for deferred payment. And the deletion date, 24 December 2024, matches the date the reform is generally said to have taken effect.
And no further than that. The text marks the paragraph “deleted” without showing what it said before deletion, so we will not assert that paragraph 4 was the deferred-payment rule. What is established is that the current legislation has no basis for it. The supplementary provisions (which leave start dates the change applies to) are not shown on per-article pages, so we could not check them. For leave that began before 2024, confirm with an employment centre.
The benefit levels also match this article's table
Decree art. 95(1) <amended 24 Dec. 2024>
1. Months 1–3: the monthly ordinary wage; capped at ₩2.5 million, floored at ₩700,000.
2. Months 4–6: the monthly ordinary wage; capped at ₩2.0 million, floored at ₩700,000.
3. Month 7 to the end: 80 per cent of the monthly ordinary wage; capped at ₩1.6 million, floored at ₩700,000.
The ₩2.5M / ₩2.0M / ₩1.6M caps, the ₩700,000 floor and the switch to 80% at month 7 that this calculator uses match the statute exactly.
Two things the table left out
- Paragraph 3 — a partial month is prorated. “Where the benefit period does not complete one month, the monthly amount shall be calculated in proportion to the days of leave taken in that month.” Start or finish mid-month and only that month shrinks.
- Paragraph 2 — split leave is aggregated. “Where parental leave is taken in instalments, the aggregate of each period shall be treated as the benefit period.” Splitting the leave does not restart the ₩2.5M months. If a second block of leave is your fourth cumulative month, it starts in the ₩2.0M tier.
The filing window is in the statute too
Act art. 70(2) — the claim must be filed “from one month after the day parental leave began until twelve months after the day it ended.” You cannot claim immediately on starting (one month must pass), and the door closes twelve months after the leave ends. Where a reason prescribed by Presidential Decree prevented filing, the window is 30 days after that reason ends.
The eligibility conditions sit in the same paragraph: leave of 30 days or more, and 180 days or more of aggregate insured units before the start date.
Questions that remain
What is “ordinary wage”? Is it take-home pay?
Ordinary wage is your regular, uniform base pay plus fixed allowances — not take-home pay or gross salary. Confirm the exact figure with your payroll department.
Is it true that the deferred payment was abolished?
Verified from the legislation in August 2026 — neither the current Employment Insurance Act art. 70 nor Decree art. 95 provides any basis for deferred payment, and Decree art. 95 paragraph 4 is marked “Deleted <24 December 2024>” (see the section above). We could not check the supplementary provisions, so for leave that began before 2024, confirm with an employment centre. Below is the note we kept before that.
Previously we could not verify this. Previously 25% of the benefit was withheld and paid only after six or more months back at work, and the explanation that this was abolished is widespread. But reading the Employment 24 program page in full (eligibility, benefits, how to apply, cautions, FAQ) we found no sentence saying it was abolished, and the menu still carries “Parental leave benefit deferred payment inquiry.” The same site's simulation page still says “the amount in parentheses is the remaining payment, paid six months after returning to work.” So this calculator shows the total only and makes no claim about when you receive it. If the deferred payment still exists, the total is the same but part of it arrives six months after you return. Check your own case with the employment center.
Must both parents take leave at the same time for 6+6?
No. As long as both parents take leave for a child under 18 months, each parent's first six months qualify — sequential or overlapping both work.
How long can parental leave be?
The base is one year per parent per child. With the 2025–2026 expansion, meeting conditions (e.g., both parents using 3+ months) extends it to 1 year 6 months each. Conditions are in the full guide.
The ₩2.5M cap and the 100% tiers we confirmed in the source. But “the deferred payment was abolished” appears nowhere on Employment 24 — so we calculate the total for you and stay silent on when it lands.
Sources we used
- Korea Ministry of Government Legislation, National Law Information Centre — Employment Insurance Act Enforcement Decree, Article 95 (parental leave benefit), in force 1 July 2026. Source for the ₩2.5M / ₩2.0M / ₩1.6M caps and ₩700,000 floor, the 80% rate from month 7, paragraph 2's aggregation of split leave, paragraph 3's proration, and “(4) Deleted <24 December 2024>.”
- National Law Information Centre — Employment Insurance Act, Article 70, in force 12 May 2026. Source for the 30-day leave and 180-day insured-unit conditions, the filing window, and paragraph 4's delegation of the amount to the Decree. This article too contains nothing about deferred payment.
- Ministry of Employment and Labor, Employment 24 — Parental leave benefit program guide (checked July 2026). Source for the rates (100% for months 1–6, 80% from month 7), the caps of ₩2.5M/2.0M/1.6M, the ₩700k floor, and the 6+6 conditions (“within 18 months of birth”, “simultaneously or sequentially”, “applies for as long as used in common even if under six months”) with caps of ₩2.5M–4.5M.
- Ministry of Employment and Labor, Employment 24 — Parental leave benefit simulation (checked July 2026). This is where we confirmed that the sentence “the amount in parentheses is the remaining payment, paid six months after returning to work” is still present.
- Our own calculation. The totals by overlap month above (₩23.1M–₩29.6M at a ₩5M ordinary wage over 12 months) and the totals-by-wage table are values we computed from those caps and floor — they are not figures printed on Employment 24.
Where to check further
- When the deferred payment actually ended. The current statute contains no basis for it and Enforcement Decree art. 95(4) reads “Deleted <24 Dec 2024>” — but the supplementary provisions' effective date was not established. Which rule applies to your own leave start date is a question for an employment centre (1350).
- What happens when the ordinary wage is below ₩700,000. Art. 95(1) says only “where less than ₩700,000, it shall be ₩700,000” and sets no ordinary-wage ceiling — read literally, a ₩600,000 wage would still yield ₩700,000. This calculator takes the conservative route and caps at the ordinary wage; check with an employment centre if this applies to you.
- How “months used in common” is counted under 6+6, and the rate from month 7. The source does not say whether it is counted in days or in months, so this calculator uses months, and treats month 7 onward like standard leave. Confirm your own combination with Employment 24 and an employment centre.
Written as of July 2026. The rates, caps, floor and 6+6 conditions were confirmed in the Employment 24 source; the totals are estimates we calculated. Actual payment and eligibility follow the employment center's review. For the system overall see the full parental leave guide, for 6+6 see the 6+6 guide, and for the comparison with shorter hours see reduced working hours.
