From King Sejong the Great, ISBN: 0-9779613-6-2
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19 October,
12th year [1430 A.D.]
The King said to his Secretaries:
"In the past, when a government servant gave birth, she was expected to
return to service seven days later. This provision was made out of
concern for the fact that harm might come to the baby if she returned
leaving the child behind her, and so this period
of leave was later increased to a hundred days. However, there have
been instances of women whose time was near, and who gave birth before
reaching home. I therefore suggest that one month of full leave be
granted prior to giving birth. Please amend the
relevant laws."
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26 April, 16th year [1434 A.D.]
Dispatched to the Ministry of Justice:
"It has been enacted that a female servant, who is due to give birth in a
month's time or has given birth within the past hundred days, shall not
be required for government service. Since no leave has been granted to
the husbands of such women, however, they
have not been able to provide assistance to their wives in childbirth,
and because of this some women have even lost their lives, which is most
pitiful. From this day forward, a husband is not required to return to
service for thirty days after his wife has
given birth."
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(In context and in general, a woman upon marriage became a member of her
husband's family, and was expected to give birth at the home of her
husband's family. This might require days of travel.)
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King Sejong, 4th Ruler of Choson Korea
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sejong_the_Great
http://asiasociety.org/countries/traditions/king-sejong-great
