Page 154 - 2020 Defence White Paper

suggested in the expansion goal in 2020. After expanding the female servicemember
workforce by up to 8.8% at the end of 2022, the MND plans to determine whether to
further expand the female workforce considering the direction of defense reform and
the conditions for acquiring active-duty resources.

Managing Female For the efficient utilization of female ser-
Servicemembers According to vicemembers, the MND has devised the
Gender Equality same regulations for female servicemember
positions as those of male servicemembers.
Also, favorable conditions are provided for pregnancy, childbirth, and childcare
while any disadvantages thereof in terms of personnel management are prohibited.
In July 2018, the National Defense Personnel Management Directive was revised to
abolish the restriction on female servicemembers’ assignment to certain units and
positions and apply the same standards for career management regardless of gender.
In May 2019, the MND established standards for adding female positions in policy
departments and combat units, and made it mandatory for the ratio of female
servicemembers working in policy departments–including the MND, the JCS, the
Combined Forces Command (CFC), and each service headquarters–to be higher
than the ratio of female field officers in order to promote their career advancements.
In addition, regulations were put in place for each service to report the status of
commander and staff positions in combat units to the MND every year.

Assisting the Servicemembers’ To promote work–life balance for both
Work–Life Balance genders, the MND has established a system

to improve the conditions of female ser-
vicemembers when it comes to pregnancy, childbirth, and childcare. At the end of
2019, in relation to pregnancy and childbirth, leave up to three days for spouse’s mis-
carriage or stillbirth and leave up to ten days for pregnancy examination leave were
made available to servicemembers. Also, in order to assist childcare, childcare leave
for families with two or more children was expanded to three days a year from two
days a year.
As of the end of 2020, the MND operates a total of 139 daycare centers and 45
co-parenting centers, and is expanding the number of childcare facilities annually
in consideration of the legal standards and childcare requirements. Since 2019, the
MND has subsidized the labor cost of one nighttime nursery teacher for 89 military
70 years of the daycare centers with 20 or more personnel, allowing servicemembers to use the
ROK Female Armed
Forces centers when night care is needed during training, watch duty, or other duties.

152 2020 Defense White Paper