Work-Life Balance Policies for Working Parents - KIHASA Holds the 39^th Population Forum

• ■Held on Thursday, September 25, at 10:00 a.m. at Vivace Hall, EL Tower, Yangjae, Seoul.

• ■Featuring four presentations and discussions on the themes of “work-life balance and women’s economic activity” and “policy directions to enhance the universality of work-life balance.”

• ■KIHASA President Shin Young-seok stated, “Establishing social and institutional foundations that enable people to balance work and caregiving is of critical importance. As part of our efforts to further advance work-life balance policies, we will conduct comparative studies of international cases and listen to the views of those in the field.”

KIHASA held the 39^th Population Forum on Thursday, September 25, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. at Vivace Hall, El Tower, Yangjae, Seoul.

Since 2014, KIHASA has used the Population Forum as a platform to bring major demographic issues, such as low fertility, population aging, and demographic shifts, into public discussion and to propose policy alternatives. This 39^th Forum, which took place under the theme of “Work-life balance policies for working parents,” examined policies designed to promote women’s economic activity and improve parental leave and explored ways forward.

The morning session, under the theme “Work-Life Balance and Women’s Economic Activity,” featured presentations by:

• ●Choi Sun-young, Associate Research Fellow at KIHASA, “The Development of Work-Family Balance Policies and Gender Equality in the Labor Market”

• ●Jung Sung-mi, Research Fellow at the Korea Women’s Development Institute, “Women’s Labor Market in the Era of Low Fertility: Characteristics and Policy Challenges”

Following the presentations, discussions will be joined by:

• ●Kim Min-seop, Associate Research Fellow, Korea Development Institute

• ●Kim Geun-joo, Senior Research Fellow, Korea Labor Institute

• ●Lee Ah-young, Research Fellow, KIHASA

 The afternoon session, under the theme “Policy Directions to Enhance the Universality of Work-Life Balance,” included:

• ●Park Eun-jung, Research Fellow, Korean Institute of Child Care and Education, “Comparative Analysis of Parental Leave Systems Abroad and Policy Implications”

• ●Park Jong-seo, Research Fellow, KIHASA, “Parental Leave Utilization in Korea and Its Policy Implications”

Discussants included:

• ●Kim Mi-jung, Director, Seoul Eastern Working Mom Support Center

• ●Kim Eun-ji, Senior Research Fellow, Korean Women’s Development Institute

• ●Kim Eun-jung, Associate Research Fellow, KIHASA

The session concluded with a 30-minute general discussion.

 “At a time when addressing population decline and promoting women’s economic participation is more important than ever, it is crucial for us to lay the social and institutional foundations that allow for a balance between work and caregiving,” said President Shin, adding “I have high hopes that this forum will serve as a meaningful venue to explore policy directions for expanding women’s economic participation, improving parental leave systems, and creating a more family-friendly labor environment.