Back in February 2025, PUBG developer Krafton implemented an” enhanced childbirth and childcare support program,” promising employees who had newborn children after January 1 the same year 100 million won (roughly $60k USD) over each child’s lifetime. The statistics are now in, and from January 2025 to April 2026, the birth rate among Krafton’s employees has approximately doubled (source: ThisIsGame).
The program was introduced to address the declining birth rates in South Korea, and covers everything from childbirth to child-rearing support. In addition, the company introduced measures to foster a work environment that supports work-life balance. According to the report, there were 46 employee births from January 2025 to April 2026, exactly double the same period from the previous year (23 births) and more than double the year before that (21 births).
Krafton also conducted a study alongside Seoul National University’s Center for Population Policy Research regarding the effectiveness of its program. According to the study, cash-based support (which includes aiding in childbirth and childcare incentives) did less to encourage couples to have children and more to convey the company’s genuine desire to address the country’s low birth rates.
On the other hand, non-cash-based systems were found to directly impact employees’ perceptions about childbirth. Krafton’s dedication to support measures that adjusted working hours and bolstered its childcare environment – such as introducing telework for parents taking care of their kids, extending parental leave to a maximum of two years, prenatal checkup leaves during pregnancy, automatic hiring of substitute staff, and psychological counselling for returning parent employees – increased overall employee work engagement.
Related: Krafton to acquire major Japanese company behind over 300 anime titles
