The government is pushing for a plan to expand the early pregnancy leave for miscarriage and stillbirth from the current 5 days to 10 days and to establish a new leave for miscarriage and stillbirth for spouses. We are also pursuing a measure to defer national tax audits for small and medium-sized businesses with excellent work-family balance starting next year. In addition, we plan to expand support for medical expenses for infertile families so that they can continue to receive support from local government medical support expenses, which previously had to be refunded when infertility treatment was stopped even if they did not want it.
Yoo Hye-mi, Senior Secretary to the President for Low Birth Rates, announced new policy tasks to increase the birth rate, including these contents, at a briefing at the Yongsan Presidential Office on the 27th.
Regarding the leave period for miscarriages and stillbirths that occurred in the early stages of pregnancy (within 11 weeks), Chief Yoo said, “Currently, 5 days is not enough to recover from physical and mental damage,” and “We would like to expand the leave period to 10 days.” He added, “We are planning to establish a new spousal miscarriage and stillbirth leave system to help spouses recover physically and mentally.” However, a senior official in the Presidential Office explained that cooperation from the National Assembly is needed, saying, “As this plan is a legislative matter, more preparation is needed.”
Chief Yoo said, “If small and medium-sized businesses with excellent work-family balance are selected for national tax audit, they will be able to apply for a tax audit deferment from January of next year.” A senior official in the Presidential Office said, “We are also considering expanding the postponement of local tax audits in consultation with local governments.”
Also, regarding infertility procedures, Chief Yoo said, “If you were unable to receive infertility procedures due to failure to collect eggs, you had to return the support from the local government.” He added, “If you did not want the infertility procedure but the procedure was stopped, the local government had to return it.” “We plan to revise related guidelines to continue to support medical expenses,” he said. A high-ranking official from the Presidential Office met with reporters and said, “Currently, in cases where procedures are stopped like this, no subsidy is paid except for Gyeonggi Province, and even if subsidy is received, it must be returned,” adding, “We plan to expand this to other local governments.” . The President’s Office plans to announce a population strategy roadmap at the same time as the launch of the Population Strategy Planning Department.
Changes to terminology that may give a negative image related to childcare are also being promoted. Chief Yoo said, “There are opinions such as changing childcare immersion period instead of childcare leave, and changing career break women to career women instead,” and added, “Social awareness regarding marriage, pregnancy, childbirth, and childrearing is very important in responding to low birth rates. “We plan to collect social opinions and push for a change (in terminology),” he said.
The government plans to compile these measures and announce specific details at the 5th Population Emergency Response Meeting to be held on the 30th.
Reporter Shin Na-ri [email protected]
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