1 Month of Parental Leave Is Not 30 Days…If Leave Starts on August 3, One Month Ends on September 2
As of 2026-10-01, if parental leave begins on August 3, ‘1 month’ runs through September 2. 1 month of parental leave is calculated according to the calendar rather than being treated as a fixed 30 days. Therefore, August 3–September 1 covers 30 days but falls short of 1 month, while leave must continue through September 2 to complete 1 month.
However, there is an important distinction to make. The ‘30 days’ required as the minimum period of leave to qualify for parental leave benefits and the ‘1 month’ used to calculate benefit payments do not mean the same thing.
Why Does 1 Month of Parental Leave Starting on August 3 End on September 2?
When parental leave is measured in months, the period is calculated according to the calendar.
When a period is specified in months and does not begin on the first day of a month, it ends on the day immediately preceding the corresponding date in the following month.
Accordingly, parental leave beginning on August 3 can be divided as follows.
August 3–September 1: 30 days
August 3–September 2: 1 month
In terms of the return-to-work date, returning to work on September 3 corresponds to having taken 1 month of parental leave.
In a consultation with the Ministry of Employment and Labor through 1350, a question asked on 2026-08-18 about these same dates received guidance that 1 month of parental leave runs from August 3 through September 2.
Does Taking Only 30 Days of Leave Mean You Cannot Receive Parental Leave Benefits?
No, it does not.
As of 2026-10-01, the basic eligibility requirement for ordinary parental leave benefits under South Korea's Employment Insurance Act is being granted parental leave for at least 30 days. Other requirements must also be met, including having a combined employment insurance qualifying period of at least 180 days before the parental leave start date.
Therefore, the period from August 3 through September 1 amounts to 30 days when both the start and end dates are included.
In other words, assuming all other eligibility requirements are satisfied, this period can meet the minimum parental leave duration requirement of ‘at least 30 days’ for receiving benefits.
However, this should not automatically be interpreted as meaning ‘receiving the full 1 month of parental leave benefits.’
To Receive the Full 1 Month of Benefits, Leave Must Continue Through September 2
The Enforcement Decree of South Korea's Employment Insurance Act provides that when the period eligible for parental leave benefits falls short of 1 month, the monthly benefit amount is calculated proportionally according to the number of days of leave taken.
Therefore, if parental leave begins on August 3, as in the question, the two end dates have different implications.
August 3–September 1
This represents 30 days of leave, which is relevant to meeting the minimum leave-duration requirement for parental leave benefits. However, it does not complete 1 month when calculated according to the calendar.
August 3–September 2
This period corresponds to exactly 1 month of parental leave under calendar-based calculation. Therefore, the answer to the central question, ‘How long must parental leave continue to complete 1 month and receive the full 1 month of the monthly benefit amount?’ is through September 2.
Put simply, the eligibility requirement that ‘benefits can be received after at least 30 days’ must be considered separately from the benefit calculation question of whether ‘a full 1 month of leave has been taken.’
Why Is It Easy to Confuse 30 Days With 1 Month?
This is because, when counting from August 3, September 1 is exactly the 30rd day.
However, when legislation specifies a period in ‘months,’ it does not assume that every month contains 30 days. February has either 28 days or 29 days, while some months have 30 days and others have 31 days. This is why periods must be calculated according to the calendar.
Article 160 of South Korea's Civil Act also provides that periods specified in months are calculated according to the calendar.
Applying this rule to the present example makes the calculation straightforward.
Parental Leave Start Date: August 3Last Day of 1 Month: September 2Return-to-Work Date: September 3
Therefore, when applying for parental leave through an employer, specifying August 3–September 2 clearly establishes the 1-month period.
If You Have Already Applied for Leave From August 3 Through September 1
Taking 30 days of leave does not automatically mean being excluded from parental leave benefits. Under the current Employment Insurance Act, ordinary parental leave benefits require at least 30 days of parental leave.
However, because 30 days and 1 month are different concepts for calculating periods, if you expected to receive the full monthly benefit amount corresponding to 1 month, you should check the parental leave end date recorded by your employer and the period reported to the employment center.
The actual benefit amount may vary depending on individual circumstances, including ordinary wages, the type of parental leave, eligibility for the parental leave scheme for both parents, special provisions for single parents, and payments received from the employer.
The Timing of Parental Leave Benefit Applications Is Also Related to ‘1 Month’
Parental leave benefits cannot be applied for immediately upon starting parental leave.
Under the current Employment Insurance Act, applications for parental leave benefits may be submitted starting 1 month after the parental leave start date. In principle, applications must be submitted within 12 months after parental leave ends.
Therefore, rather than simply assuming that ‘30 days must equal one month,’ it is safer to first verify the start and end dates of the leave period submitted to your employer.
Key Takeaways From the Example of Leave Starting on August 3
30 days of leave: August 3–September 1
1 month of parental leave: August 3–September 2
Return to work after 1 month of leave: September 3
Therefore, if parental leave begins on August 3 and the goal is to complete a full 1 month for the purpose of receiving the full monthly parental leave benefit amount, the leave period should extend through September 2.
Actual benefit eligibility and payment amounts may vary depending on the employment insurance qualifying period, the parental leave period reported by the employer, and whether special provisions apply. Before applying, it is advisable to confirm the registered information with the employment 24 and obtain final confirmation from the employment center with jurisdiction.
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