Chung Sang-hoon kisses his son at his apartment in Seoul, South Korea, December 16, 2015. [Photo/Agencies]

Long hours

In the first half of this year, the number of paternity leave-takers surged 40 percent to 2,212, but men still made up just 5 percent of the parents taking leave in conservative South Korea.

The government has set a goal of increasing the ratio of men taking leave to 30 percent by 2030, changing a culture in a country where men are notoriously aloof from child-rearing and housework.

Reality television shows such as "Return of Superman" featuring male celebrities taking care of their children are credited with helping lure fathers into being more hands-on.

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