[Anchor]

It is Wednesday, and we are joined by reporter Han Jiyeon for our "Friendly Economy" segment. Han, we are already halfway through the year.

[Reporter]

I have summarized some of the changes coming in the second half of this year. There are several new policies aimed at easing the burden of raising children. Let us first look at the changes in areas ranging from parental leave to child support and education subsidies.

First, working parents will be able to use parental leave with more flexibility. Starting August 20, when short-term care is needed—such as during school vacations, temporary closures of daycare centers, or sudden illnesses—parents can use parental leave for one or two weeks, once a year. Previously, leave had to be taken for at least 30 days to qualify for parental leave benefits, but moving forward, benefits will be available even for shorter periods.

There are also changes for families expecting a child. Starting September 18, employees can begin their maternity or paternity leave up to 50 days before the expected due date. Additionally, in cases of miscarriage or premature birth risks, parents can take parental leave even before the child is born.

Support for single-parent families is also expanding. Starting October 29, the "advance child support payment system," where the government provides support first when child support payments are not received, will be available for application regardless of income.

There are also changes to ease the burden of education costs. Starting this month, the eligibility for interest waivers on student loans repaid after employment will be further expanded. Furthermore, pregnant women and mothers who give birth after January 2025 will be eligible for eco-friendly agricultural product packages worth 240,000 won.

[Anchor]

It seems you have prepared information by sector; this time it is about employees and small business owners.

[Reporter]

There are also changes that employees should be aware of. Protections against unpaid wages will be strengthened, and support for small business owners to get back on their feet after closing their businesses will increase.

First, starting August 20, if a company closes and wages go unpaid, the amount of unpaid wages the government can pay on behalf of the employer will increase. The coverage will expand from the previous final three months to the final six months of wages.

Starting in October, penalties for employers who habitually fail to pay wages will be increased from the current maximum of three years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won to a maximum of five years in prison or a fine of up to 50 million won. Penalties for unpaid retirement benefits will also be strengthened to the same level starting in September.

There is also support for small business owners who have closed their businesses. If a small business owner who has taken out policy loans succeeds in finding employment after closing their business, they can repay the policy loans more slowly, with an extension of up to seven years. If they remain employed for more than one year, the loan interest rate will also be lowered by 0.5 percentage points.

For self-employed individuals, there are also changes to the Yellow Umbrella Deduction (a mutual aid fund for small business owners). Previously, contributions were capped at 3 million won per quarter, but moving forward, individuals can contribute up to 18 million won per year, distributed according to their financial situation.

[Anchor]

What else is changing?

[Reporter]

Services we frequently use, such as transportation, culture, and telecommunications, are also seeing some changes. There are quite a few adjustments that will help save on living expenses and improve convenience.

First, starting in August, the separate apps for KTX and SRT will be integrated into one. From October, train tickets can be booked earlier than now. While previously tickets could only be booked one month in advance, passengers will be able to purchase tickets up to two months in advance.

Families with multiple children can also receive discounts when using expressways. If a family has two children under the age of 19, they will receive a 10% discount on weekends and public holidays, and for families with three or more children, the discount increases to 20%.

This month, 4.5 million movie discount vouchers worth 6,000 won each will also be released.

For those who frequently attend performances or sports events, it is worth noting the new regulations on ticket scalping. Starting August 28, the act of reselling tickets at a premium is prohibited, and those caught can face fines of up to 50 times the sale price.

There are also changes for mobile phone users. Starting in October, the three major telecommunications companies must notify users if there is a more suitable rate plan available based on their data usage. Additionally, a "data safety option" that allows users to continue using basic services like messengers or map searches even after exhausting their monthly data will be applied sequentially by each provider.