One-third of workers on parental leave were fathers in the first nine months of this year, and the number of individuals utilizing the benefit surpassed 140-thousand.

According to data from the Ministry of Employment and Labor on Tuesday, the number of people on parental leave rose 37 percent from the previous year to 141-thousand-909 in the January to September period.

The nine-month tally has already surpassed last year's total of 132-thousand-535. The ministry believes systematic improvements and a change in social perception had a positive impact.

Of the nine-month total, 52-thousand-279, or 36-point-eight percent, were fathers, which the ministry said was a likely outcome of government measures aimed at encouraging both parents to take leave.

Those include an increase in parental pay to a maximum of two-point-five million won, or around one-thousand-700 U.S. dollars, per month, as well as an extension of the period of up to 18 months if both parents take a leave of at least three months.

Out of those on leave, 82-thousand-620, or 58-point-two percent, were employees of small- to medium-sized enterprises, up one-point-two percentage point from a year earlier.