Stay-at-home dads reached an all-time high in South Korea

The number of South Korean stay-at-home fathers reached an all-time high in March, according to government data. 

A total of 13,000 South Korean men outside the labour force took charge of bringing up their children last month, marking an increase of 6,000 from a year earlier, data from the Korean Statistical Information Service (KOSIS) showed. The figure was also the highest number since 1999, when the data was tracked, reports Yonhap.

Over the long term, the number of stay-at-home dads are on a rising trend. In March 2011, the number hit 3,000 before climbing to 11,000 in January this year, 9,000 in February, and 13,000 in March. 

Fathers in their 30s and 40s comprised 74.5% of stay-at-home dads, while those aged 60 and above comprised almost 18%. On the other hand, the number of South Korean stay-at-home moms hit 1.112 million in March, down 93,000 year-on-year. 

READ: South Korea sees rise in paternity leave in 2020

In line with the trend of fathers taking up more childcare responsibilities, data from the labour ministry showed that almost 27,400 private-sector male workers took childcare leave last year, an increase of 23 percent year-on-year.