Lee Won-joo of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea has become the first member of the Changwon City Council to take maternity leave after giving birth, according to local media reports Thursday. Until recently, the council had no formal maternity leave policy, a gap observers attributed to its historically older, male-dominated membership. In May 2023, however, the council amended its rules to allow the speaker to grant up to 90 days of maternity leave to members who give birth, with at least 4