The number of fathers who took parental leave last year reached near 40-thousand, spiking 20-fold over the past decade, according to Statistics Korea.

The number of mothers who took parental leave was still much higher, with 130-thousand women leaving work for childcare in 2020. The preliminary data was released by the government agency on Tuesday.

Of some 169-thousand workers with children under the age of nine, roughly 38-thousand-500 fathers began parental leave last year, accounting for nearly 23 percent of the total. 

This marks the first time the portion of fathers on leave surpassed 20 percent, according to Statistics Korea.

Mothers on parental leave took up over 77 percent of all parents, slipping below 80 percent for the first time. The number of women on leave almost doubled from 2010.