ACT ON PROMOTION OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES OF CAREER-INTERRUPTED WOMEN
Act No. 9101, jun. 5, 2008
Amended by Act No. 9932, Jan. 18, 2010
Act No. 10039, Feb. 4, 2010
Act No. 10339, jun. 4, 2010
Act No. 12698, May 28, 2014
Act No. 14701, Mar. 21, 2017
The purpose of this Act is to contribute to the sustainable growth of the national economy as well as to financial self-support and self-realization of women by promoting economic activities of career-interrupted women.
The following terms as used in this Act have the meanings defined below: <Amended by Act 14701, Mar. 21, 2017>
| 1. | The term "career-interrupted woman" means any woman whose economic activities have ever been interrupted by marriage, pregnancy, childbirth, child-care, care for a family member, or any similar reason or who has never been engaged in any economic activity but who desires now to have a job; |
| 2. | The term "promotion of economic activities" means all activities conducted by the State, a local government, an educational institution, an industrial or commercial enterprise, or any similar organization or institution to support participation in economic activities and to prevent careers from being interrupted. |
| Article 3 (Responsibilities of State and others) |
| (1) | The State and each local government shall establish a comprehensive policy on the promotion of economic activities of career-interrupted women and prepare plans for administrative and financial support as necessary for such promotion. |
| (2) | The State and each local government shall consider women's life cycle, maternity, characteristics of women with disabilities, and other relevant factors in establishing and implementing the policies on the promotion of economic activities of career-interrupted women. <Amended by Act No. 10039, Feb. 4, 2010> |
| (3) | Business owners shall endeavor to provide career-interrupted women with a working environment appropriate for the promotion of their economic activities. |
| Article 4 (Establishment of Master Plans for Promotion of Economic Activities of Career-Interrupted Women) |
| (1) | The Minister of Gender Equality and Family and the Minister of Employment and Labor shall jointly formulate a master plan for the promotion of economic activities of career-interrupted women (hereinafter referred to as "master plan") every five years, subject to consultation with the heads of relevant central administrative agencies. <Amended by Act No. 9932, Jan. 18, 2010; Act No. 10339, Jun. 4, 2010> |
| (2) | The master plan shall contain the following matters: |
| 1. | The current status and prospects of career-interrupted women; |
| 2. | The major measures to be taken for the promotion of economic activities of career-interrupted women; |
| 3. | Other matters prescribed by Presidential Decree with regard to the promotion of economic activities of career-interrupted women. |
| (3) | The Minister of Gender Equality and Family and the Minister of Employment and Labor shall, when they prepare the master plan, present the proposed plan to the Gender Equality Council established under Article 11 of the Framework Act on Gender Equality for deliberation. <Amended by Act No. 9932, Jan. 18, 2010; Act No. 10339, Jun. 4, 2010; Act No. 12698, May 28, 2014> |
| Article 5 (Annual Implementation Plans) |
| (1) | The head of each competent central administrative agency shall formulate and implement an annual implementation plan (hereinafter referred to as "implementation plan") in accordance with a master plan. |
| (2) | The Special Metropolitan City Mayor, Metropolitan City Mayors, Do Governors, and the Governor of a Special Self-Governing Province (hereinafter referred to as "Mayors/Do Governors") shall each establish an annual implementation plan at the level of each City/Do in accordance with the master plan. |
| (3) | The Minister of Gender Equality and Family and the Minister of Employment and Labor shall jointly inspect the current status of the performance of an implementation plan under paragraphs (1) and (2) each year. <Amended by Act No. 9932, Jan. 18, 2010; Act No. 10339, Jun. 4, 2010> |
| Article 6 (Cooperation in Establishment and Implementation of Plans) |
| (1) | The Minister of Gender Equality and Family, the Minister of Employment and Labor, the heads of competent central administrative agencies, and Mayors/Do Governors may, whenever required for formulating and implementing a master plan or implementation plan, request an relevant central administrative agency, local government, public institution, or any other legal entity or organization to provide cooperation in the formulation and implementation of the plan. <Amended by Act No. 9932, Jan. 18, 2010; Act No. 10339, Jun. 4, 2010> |
| (2) | Any agency, institution, legal entity, or organization that has been requested to provide cooperation pursuant to paragraph (1) shall cooperate, unless any extraordinary reason exists otherwise. |
| Article 7 (Survey on Actual Status of Economic Activities of Career- Interrupted Women) |
| (1) | The Minister of Gender Equality and Family shall conduct a survey on the actual status of economic activities of career-interrupted women on a regular basis and reflect the results therefrom in the master plan so that efficient policies on the promotion of economic activities of career- interrupted women are established. <Amended by Act No. 9932, Jan. 18, 2010> |
| (2) | Necessary matters concerning the method and scope of surveys on the actual status conducted under paragraph (1) and other relevant matters shall be prescribed by Ordinance of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. <Amended by Act No. 9932, Jan. 18, 2010> |
| Article 8 (Support for Creation of Jobs) |
The Government shall endeavor to create jobs suitable for career-interrupted women and improve the quality of such jobs.
| Article 9 (Selection of and Support for Prospective Types of Occupation) |
The Minister of Gender Equality and Family and the Minister of Employment and Labor, alike, may select prospective types of occupation for which career-interrupted women are likely to have good opportunities and provide support to such types of occupation to help such women commence engaging in such types of occupation. <Amended by Act No. 9932, Jan. 18, 2010; Act No. 10339, Jun. 4, 2010>
| Article 10 (Vocational Training) |
| (1) | The Minister of Gender Equality and Family may support any institution specified by Ordinance of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, such as a women's resources development institution, to assist them in conducting vocational training programs for career-interrupted women in order to promote the economic activities of career-interrupted women. <Amended by Act No. 9932, Jan. 18, 2010> |
| (2) | The head of each local government may conduct vocational training programs for career-interrupted women, as designed to meet the special requirements in the locality, in order to promote the economic activities of career-interrupted women. |
| (3) | The Minister of Gender Equality and Family and the Minister of Employment and Labor, alike, may provide necessary support to the vocational training programs conducted by each local government pursuant to paragraph (2). <Amended by Act No. 9932, Jan. 18, 2010; Act No. 10339, Jun. 4, 2010> |
| Article 11 (Support to Internship Employment) |
| (1) | The Minister of Gender Equality and Family may execute supporting projects for internship employment jointly with any public institution for the fields in which women have less opportunities for employment in order to help career-interrupted women adapt to the jobs available in such fields. <Amended by Act No. 9932, Jan. 18, 2010> |
| (2) | The Minister of Gender Equality and Family may fully or partially subsidize costs incurred by a local government in conducting any supporting project for internship employment. <Amended by Act No. 9932, Jan. 18, 2010> |
| Article 12 (Prevention of Career Interruptions) |
The Minister of Gender Equality and Family may support any institution specified by Ordinance of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, such as a women's resources development institution, as necessary for any project that the institution carries on for the improvement of occupational consciousness and awareness in order to prevent women's career from being interrupted. <Amended by Act No. 9932, Jan. 18, 2010>
| Article 13 (Designation of Career-Interrupted Women Supporting Centers) |
| (1) | The Minister of Gender Equality and Family and the Minister of Employment and Labor, alike, may designate and operate a career-interrupted women supporting center (hereinafter referred to as "supporting center") at the level of Special Metropolitan City, Metropolitan City, Special Self-Governing City, Do, Special Self-Governing Province, or Si/Gun/Gu (a Gu refers to an autonomous Gu) to perform the following projects necessary for prevention of career interruptions and for promotion of economic activities of women: |
| 1. | Provision of counseling and information on marriage, pregnancy, childbirth, and return after a leave of absence for career-interrupted women and management of such cases; |
| 2. | Support for career interruption prevention programs for career-interrupted women, such as career development education for each life-cycle phase, mentoring, and network building; |
| 3. | Provision of information and counseling on employment or starting up businesses; |
| 4. | Vocational education and training; job placement services; and support for adjustment to a job position after employment; |
| 5. | Provision of welfare services, including childcare support, and connection with such services; |
| 6. | Establishment and operation of networks at regional level with relevant institutions and enterprises for promotion of economic activities of career-interrupted women; |
| 7. | Other projects necessary for supporting prevention of career interruptions for and promotion of economic activities of career-interrupted women. |
| (2) | Standards for human resources, facilities, equipment, etc. necessary for designation under paragraph (1); detailed procedures and methods therefor, including as application for such designation; and other similar matters shall be prescribed by Presidential Decree. |
[This Article Wholly Amended by Act No. 14701, Mar. 21, 2017]
| Article 13-2 (Central Supporting Center for Career-Interrupted Women) |
| (1) | The Minister of Gender Equality an Family and the Minister of Employment and Labor may designate and operate a central supporting center for career-interrupted women (hereinafter referred to as “central supporting center”) to effectively and systematically support polices for prevention of career interruptions for and promotion of economic activities of women. |
| (2) | The central supporting center shall perform the following duties: |
| 1. | Development and distribution of programs, such as counselling and education on prevention of career interruptions for career-interrupted women; |
| 2. | Projects for improving social and cultural awareness regarding prevention of career interruptions for career-interrupted women; |
| 3. | Development and distribution of programs, such as counselling and education on employment and starting up businesses; |
| 4. | Development and distribution of programs for career-interrupted women’s early adjustment to jobs; |
| 5. | Establishment and operation of a network at national level with relevant institutions and enterprises for promoting economic activities of career-interrupted women; |
| 6. | Evaluation of supporting centers, and education and training of employees thereof; |
| 7. | Other matters prescribed by Ordinance of the Ministry of Gender Equality an Family. |
| (3) | Standards for human resources, facilities, and equipment, etc. necessary for designation under paragraph (1); detailed procedures and methods for such designation, and other similar matters shall be prescribed by Presidential Decree. |
[This Article Newly Inserted by Act No. 14701, Mar. 21, 2017]
| Article 13-3 (Cancellation of Designation) |
| (1) | Where a supporting center or the central supporting center falls under any of the following, the Minister of Gender Equality and Family and the Minister of Employment and Labor may cancel designation of such supporting center: Provided, That he/she shall cancel designation in cases falling under subparagraph 1: |
| 1. | Where such center has obtained designation by fraud or other improper means; |
| 2. | Where such center fails to conduct designated for at least one month without just cause; |
| 4. | Where the Minister of Gender Equality and Family determines that it is unsuitable as a supporting center or central supporting center, in consultation with the Minister of Employment and Labor. |
| (2) | Where the Minister of Gender Equality and Family and the Minister of Employment and Labor intends to cancel designation pursuant to paragraph (1), they shall hold a hearing. |
| (3) | Necessary matters concerning detailed criteria and procedures, etc. for canceling designation of a supporting center or central supporting center shall be prescribed by Presidential Decree. |
[This Article Newly Inserted by Act No. 14701, Mar. 21, 2017]
| Article 14 (Reporting and Inspections) |
| (1) | The Minister of Gender Equality and Family and the Minister of Employment and Labor may, if deemed necessary for supervision, order any supporting center designated pursuant to Article 13 to submit a report or data on its business activities or property, assign public officials under their jurisdiction to conduct on-site or documentary inspections, or take any other measures as necessary. <Amended by Act No. 9932, Jan. 18, 2010; Act No. 10339, Jun. 4, 2010> |
| (2) | Any public official who conducts on-site or documentary inspections pursuant to paragraph (1) shall each carry a certificate indicating his/her authority and produce it to persons concerned. |
| Article 15 (Delegation or Entrustment of Authority) |
| (1) | The Minister of Gender Equality and Family and the Minister of Employment and Labor may each delegate part of the authority granted to them pursuant to this Act to each Mayor/Do Governor or the head of each Si/Gun/Gu (the head of a Gu refers to the head of an autonomous Gu) in compliance with the terms prescribed by Presidential Decree. <Amended by Act No. 9932, Jan. 18, 2010; Act No. 10339, Jun. 4, 2010> |
| (2) | The Minister of Gender Equality and Family and the Minister of Employment and Labor may each entrust an institution, a legal entity, or an organization, which is willing to carry out the administrative affairs under this Act, with some of the affairs under this Act in compliance with the terms prescribed by Presidential Decree. <Amended by Act No. 9932, Jan. 18, 2010; Act No. 10339, Jun. 4, 2010> |
| Article 16 (Cooperation of Relevant Agencies) |
The Minister of Gender Equality and Family and the Minister of Employment and Labor may, if deemed necessary for accomplishing the purpose of this Act, request the head of a relevant central administrative agency or the head of a local government to prepare policies or take measures as necessary, with regard to any matter specified by Presidential Decree. <Amended by Act No. 9932, Jan. 18, 2010; Act No. 10339, Jun. 4, 2010>
ADDENDUM
This Act shall enter into force six months after the date of its promulgation.
ADDENDA<Act No. 9932, Jun. 18, 2010>
Article 1 (Enforcement Date)
This Act shall enter into force two months after the date of its promulgation. (Proviso Omitted.)
Articles 2 through 5 Omitted.
ADDENDUM<Act No. 10039, Feb. 4, 2010>
This Act shall enter into force on the date of its promulgation.
ADDENDA<Act No. 10339, Jun. 4, 2010>
Article 1 (Enforcement Date)
This Act shall enter into force one month after the date of its promulgation. (Proviso Omitted.)
Articles 2 through 5 Omitted.
ADDENDA <Act No. 12698, May 28, 2014>
Article 1 (Enforcement Date)
This Act shall enter into force on July 1, 2015.
Articles 2 through 10 Omitted.
ADDENDUM <Act No. 14701, Mar. 21, 2017>
This Act shall enter into force six months after the date of its promulgation.