Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Choi Kyung-hwan has pledged to build more state-run day care facilities nationwide in an effort to induce women to participate in the economy. He added that funds will be raised via donations from major enterprises as part of their social contribution activities.

His remarks came during an economy-related ministers’ meeting on Wednesday, at which they unveiled supplementary measures to activate part-time job hiring and elevate the female employment rate.

“In the aftermath of the female hiring promotion measures, twice (under the incumbent administration) the (nation’s) employment rate of women aged 15 years or older has surpassed 50 percent for the first time in history,” Choi said.

He added that paternity leave from workplaces and the granting of shortend working hours for make workers for baby care.

Choi said, however, practical use of the system to prevent women from suffering career discontinuation still lags behind. “(As a supplementary measure, the government) plans to revamp the child care system for working moms.”

The ratio of state-run nurseries to the total child care facilities was 5.3 percent at the end of 2013. Further, the ratio of workplace nurseries stayed at 1.4 percent.

While the government is considering raising funds for more day-care centers from enterprises as a social contribution, the business sector is likely to complain. Observers say that the success of the policy depends on a variety of benefits like tax deduction for businesses.

Observers also say that the government should increase the budget for social welfare by raising the tax rate on the high-income bracket if it really wants to raise the female employment rate. They point out that there is an apparent difference between Korea and advanced countries whose governments have budgeted huge funds for day care facilities.

Meanwhile, minister Choi said the administration plans to create 3,000 more part-time jobs for both men and women in the public sector by the end of the year and will continue to raise the ratio of female senior officials at state-run agencies.

The plan for securing more managers at state-controlled firms, in particular, is drawing interest in terms of President Park Geun-hye’s commitment to overhauling the public sector.

The ratio of female senior officials at public firms stood at 12.7 percent at the end of last year. “By setting respective targets at 257 agencies, the government will pull up the ratio to 18.6 percent by 2017,” said the Ministry of Employment and Labor.

By Kim Yon-se (kys@heraldcorp.com)