According to South Korean media, the “10 a.m. work start for elementary school parents” policy, which was piloted in Gwangju starting in 2022, will be implemented nationwide from next year, with subsidies to compensate companies for losses from reduced working hours.
The policy targets parent employees in small and medium-sized enterprises with fewer than 300 workers, allowing them to reduce their daily working hours by one hour to care for their children without salary reduction. Gwangju compensates companies for losses from reduced working hours through subsidies, which not only makes it convenient for employees to balance family and work but also reduces the burden on companies’ human resources.
The policy was first piloted in Gwangju in 2022, initially only for “parents of first-grade elementary students” for a two-month period. In 2023, the scope was expanded to parents of students from grades 1 to 6. Parents普遍 reported feeling “reassured” being able to personally send their children to school safely, and companies have also responded positively to the policy.
The South Korean government has decided to incorporate this policy into a national project and included the related expenditure in the 2026 fiscal year budget on August 29 of this year to prepare for nationwide implementation.
