How Much Parental Leave Remains After Splitting It? Simply Adding 30-Day and 31-Day Periods Can Give the Wrong Answer
If you have taken parental leave in several separate periods, calculating the remaining entitlement by simply subtracting the days used from 365 days may produce an incorrect result. A 1-year parental leave period is calculated according to the calendar, and periods shorter than 1 month during split leave are converted into monthly fractions using the actual number of days in the relevant month.
In particular, when months containing 28, 30, or 31 days are involved, it can be difficult to determine the remaining entitlement based solely on the actual number of days taken. South Korea's Ministry of Employment and Labor also provides a dedicated calculator for checking periods of split parental leave and the remaining entitlement.
A 1-Year Parental Leave Entitlement Is Not Simply a Matter of Using 365 Days
When calculating the statutory parental leave period, treating '1 year = 365 days' as a fixed conversion and subtracting individual days can lead to incorrect dates.
According to guidance provided through the Ministry of Employment and Labor's 1350 consultation service, the duration of 1 year of parental leave is calculated according to the calendar, following the period-calculation principles established under South Korea's Civil Act. For example, if a 1-year period begins on April 5, it runs through April 4 of the following year.
This means that the determination of whether 1 year of leave has been used does not depend solely on the total number of days taken, even when a leap year or a month containing 31 days falls within the period.
In fact, consultations submitted to the Ministry of Employment and Labor's 1350 service in 2026 repeatedly include questions such as, 'If the total is 366 days, doesn't that exceed 1 year?' and 'Shouldn't the calculation be based on 365 days?' The answers likewise apply calendar-based calculations rather than a fixed number of days.
Split Leave Is Calculated Using 'Complete Months + Fractions of Remaining Days'
The calculation becomes slightly different when parental leave is taken in separate periods.
Under the Ministry of Employment and Labor's guidance, the calculation first adds together the number of complete months taken across separate leave periods. If any period is shorter than 1 month, the number of days in that period is divided by the number of days in the corresponding 1-month period to convert it into a fraction of a month.
For example, the calculation examples presented in official consultations can be explained as follows.
| Composition of Leave Taken | Calculation | Combined Result |
|---|---|---|
| 10 months + 2 days based on a 30-day month + 1 month + 28 days based on a 31-day month | 10 + 2/30 + 1 + 28/31 | Approximately 11.96 months |
| 10 months + 29 days based on a 30-day month + 1 month + 1 days based on a 30-day month | 10 + 29/30 + 1 + 1/30 | Approximately 11.99 months |
In other words, taking 29 days of leave does not always mean using the same fraction of a month.
This is because 29 days within a 30-day monthly period represent a different fraction of a month from 29 days within a 31-day monthly period.
Why Is It Incorrect to Assume That Taking 30 Days Means Using 1 Month?
Because a calendar month does not always contain 30 days.
When parental leave is defined in monthly units, its duration is calculated using the date corresponding to the starting date. As a result, the simple number of elapsed days does not always match the legally calculated number of months.
The following situations require particular attention when parental leave is split into separate periods:
Taking parental leave on several separate occasions
Having an individual leave period that does not end on an exact monthly boundary
Having leave periods involving months with 28, 29, 30, or 31 days
Resuming parental leave after an intervening period of maternity leave or other leave
Needing to determine the final end date of the remaining entitlement after deducting previously used leave
In these situations, rather than simply adding the number of days taken across all periods and comparing the total with 365 days, it is important to combine each separate leave period according to the applicable calculation rules.
The End Date of Remaining Parental Leave Can Be Checked Using the Official Calculator
If calculating the entitlement manually is complicated, you can use the 'Parental Leave Usage Period and Remaining Period Calculator' published by South Korea's Ministry of Employment and Labor.
The Ministry of Employment and Labor made the calculator available on 2025-02-24. It allows users to combine the periods taken during each separate instance of parental leave, check the total amount of leave used, and calculate the expected end date based on the remaining entitlement.
In particular, the calculator provides separate files depending on whether the eligibility requirements for extending the leave period are met, so users should select the calculation sheet that matches their circumstances.
If You Qualify for 1 Year and 6 Months, First Confirm Your Total Leave Entitlement
Not every employee automatically qualifies for a parental leave entitlement of 1 year and 6 months.
As of 2026, the standard parental leave entitlement in South Korea is up to 1 year per employee for each child. An additional 6 months may be taken when statutory requirements are met, including cases where both parents each take at least 3 months of parental leave for the same child.
Therefore, before calculating the remaining entitlement, you must first determine whether your total available leave is the standard 1 year or whether you qualify for the additional 6 months.
If you have taken parental leave in many separate periods, the safer approach is to list your employer's official leave records and the actual periods taken in chronological order before entering them into the official calculator.
When the Final Few Days Are Unclear, Avoid Adding Dates Arbitrarily
Calculating the final end date can be considerably more complicated when parental leave has been split into several periods rather than taken as one continuous 1-year period.
There are three key points.
First, do not automatically convert 1 year into 365 days. Second, for periods shorter than 1 month during split leave, calculate the fraction using the number of days in the relevant monthly period. Third, verify the actual remaining entitlement and expected end date using the Ministry of Employment and Labor's parental leave calculator.
In particular, the number of days remaining may affect both the parental leave end date submitted to your employer and your scheduled return-to-work date. If your individual history of split leave is complicated or the calculation result is unclear, it is advisable to confirm the applicable dates with your employer's responsible staff member or the Ministry of Employment and Labor's customer consultation center.
※ This article is provided for reference purposes to help readers understand market trends and does not constitute an investment recommendation concerning any particular stock or asset. Readers are responsible for their own final investment decisions and any resulting consequences.
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