Korea to strengthen protections for pregnant soldiers

Pregnant military officers will be relocated to units that are closer to maternity hospitals, the government said Tuesday.

According to a joint plan proposed by the ministries of health and welfare, gender equality, and defense, female officers will be placed in camps where they can reach an obstetrician in less than 30 minutes.

Also, all pregnant women in government offices and the military will be given two work-free hours per day to rest or go for medical check-ups. The joint plan was submitted to President Park Geun-hye at a Cabinet meeting held on Tuesday morning.

The plan came eight months after a pregnant officer died from overworking. The officer, who was in her third trimester, was assigned to a front unit in Gangwon Province.

In a move to protect mothers expecting children, the government has been allowing female officers in the early and final stages of pregnancy to take two hours off during work hours since July. The Ministry of Defense said it will revise the existing rules to better protect pregnant officers.

For the private sector, the government plans to support medical institutions by establishing maternity hospitals in 48 rural areas designated as being underserved.

By Cho Chung-un (christory@heraldcorp.com)