Korea Customs Service introduces parental benefits

[Photo by Yonhap]

The Korea Customs Service on Monday unveiled various family-oriented benefits for its employees, including a personnel system that gives preferential promotions to low-grade civil servants with two or more children.

Under plans announced by the agency, additional points in the promotion evaluation process will be given to grade 8 or below employees raising two or more children.

It will also defer transfers to non-linked locations for those who are pregnant or gave birth within two years, those raising multiple young children, newlyweds, and those undergoing infertility treatment.

The agency will also prioritize employees’ requests for transfers to linked locations.

The Korea Customs Service will also allow pregnant employees to change departments at any time if they are working in departments that require night shifts or long-distance travel.

According to the agency, 59 percent of its employees are currently raising children, with those raising two or more children accounting for 39 percent.

Female employees, in particular, account for 49 percent of the entire workforce, up 17 percentage points from 10 years ago.

Of them, 58 percent are under 40 and 49 percent have children.

“We will continue to come up with support policies for pregnancy, childbirth, and childcare that help employees feel assured about raising children,” said Korea Customs Service Commissioner Ko Kwang-hyo.