South Korea is undergoing a subtle but significant transformation in the way families welcome new life and care for their children, as recent government data and expert analyses reveal a surge in both twin births and parental leave uptake. This dual trend, while offering hope for a nation grappling with one of the world’s lowest fertility rates, also raises complex questions about health, policy, and the evolving roles of mothers and fathers.
According to a report released on December 18, 2025, by Bae Hyewon, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, the proportion of twins among all newborns in South Korea climbed from 3.7% (16,166 babies) in 2015 to 5.7% (13,461 babies) in 2024. Even more striking, the rate of higher-order multiples—triplets or more—rose from 2.4% (392 babies) to 3.4% (457 babies) during the same period. These figures place South Korea’s twin birth rate at 28.8 per 1,000 deliveries in 2024, nearly double the Human Multiple Births Database (HMBD) average of 15.5 per 1,000, surpassed only by Greece. For higher-order multiples, South Korea leads all HMBD countries with 0.67 per 1,000 deliveries, three times the average.
This surge in multiple births is happening against a backdrop of persistent demographic challenges. South Korea’s total fertility rate remains among the lowest in the world, but the twin birth rate bucks the global trend, continuing to rise even as singleton births decline elsewhere. The report highlights a uniquely Korean phenomenon: as assisted reproductive technologies advance and the average maternal age increases, more parents are opting to have two children at once—often for reasons of convenience and efficiency. The average age of mothers at childbirth has risen from 32.2 years in 2015 to 33.7 years in 2024, with mothers of twins averaging 35.3 years, compared to 33.6 years for mothers of singletons.
Infertility treatments are also on the rise, with the number of patients undergoing such procedures increasing by 33% from 121,038 in 2018 to 161,083 in 2024. In response, South Korea has expanded policies supporting families with twins and multiples, including financial aid for infertility treatments, medical expense coverage for high-risk pregnancies, and support for premature babies. Local governments have joined in, offering birth celebration grants and postpartum care expenses for families with multiple births.
But these supportive policies come with a caveat. The report by Bae Hyewon warns that the current focus is overwhelmingly on post-response measures—helping families during or after pregnancy—rather than on preventing high-risk multiple pregnancies in the first place. "Twin births carry high risks for both mothers and babies, but policy efforts before pregnancy to protect their health and reduce twin pregnancies have been relatively insufficient," the report states, as cited by The Asia Business Daily. The risks associated with multiple pregnancies are well-documented, including higher rates of preterm birth, low birth weight, and complications for mothers.
Internationally, many countries began shifting their policies in the early 2000s to focus on prevention, aiming to reduce the rate of twin births through better regulation of assisted reproductive technologies and public health campaigns. Bae’s report points to the United Kingdom as an example, noting, "The UK has managed to reduce its multiple birth rate while maintaining its overall birth rate at a certain level." The suggestion is clear: South Korea could lower its twin birth rate without further reducing overall fertility, provided it adopts more proactive, preventive policies.
Meanwhile, the country is witnessing a record-breaking surge in parental leave, a trend that dovetails with the rise in multiple and delayed births. On December 17, 2025, the Ministry of Data and Statistics announced that 206,226 Korean workers took parental leave in 2024, up from 198,218 in 2023. This marks a 4% increase and the highest figure since records began. The ministry attributed the rise to both the increase in births—up 3.6% to 238,300 in 2024, the first such uptick in nine years—and to government policies making parental leave more accessible and attractive.
Under current Korean law, parents of children aged eight or younger (or in the second grade or below) are eligible for up to one year of maternity or paternity leave. To encourage uptake and address the ultra-low birthrate, the government provides financial assistance to employment insurance subscribers who take parental leave. Notably, a "6+6 Parental Leave System" was introduced in 2024, supporting 100% of the normal wage for the first six months when both parents take leave, with couples eligible to receive up to 42 million won in total during the period.
This policy shift has had a dramatic effect on fathers. According to the National Data Agency’s "2024 Statistical Results of Parental Leave (Tentative)," the number of fathers taking paternity leave soared to 60,117 in 2024, up 18.3% from the previous year and nearly ten times the figure from a decade earlier. The proportion of fathers among all parental leave users rose from 25.6% to 29.2%, the highest since statistics began, while the number of mothers on leave slightly decreased by 0.9% to 146,109. Women still accounted for 70.8% of all parental leave in 2024, but the gap is narrowing.
The age profile of parents taking leave is also shifting. The average age has risen, reflecting broader societal trends toward delayed marriage and childbirth. Fathers on leave tend to be older—38.7% are aged 35-39, and 32.9% are 40 or older—and are concentrated in large companies, with 67.9% working for firms with more than 300 employees. Mothers, on the other hand, are typically aged 30-34 and are more likely to work in social welfare, public administration, or education.
There are notable differences in how and when parents use their leave. Mothers overwhelmingly take leave immediately after childbirth, while fathers are more likely to take time off when their children reach kindergarten age, around six years old. The rate of parental leave use among parents of babies born in 2024 was 34.7%, up 1.7 percentage points from the previous year; for fathers, it surpassed 10% for the first time. Among parents of children born in 2023, 43.7% used parental leave within 12 months of birth, with the rate for fathers jumping from just 1.1% in 2015 to 16.1% in 2023.
These trends reflect a society in flux. On one hand, South Korea is making strides in supporting working parents, encouraging fathers to take a more active role in childrearing, and reversing a long decline in births—at least for now. On the other, the rise in multiple births, driven by older maternal age and assisted reproduction, brings new risks and policy challenges that demand attention before, not just after, pregnancy. As policymakers weigh the next steps, the experiences of other countries suggest that a careful balance of support and prevention may be the key to securing both the health of mothers and babies and the future of the nation.
