Women in South Korea face serious challenges in their career growth, resulting in a significant income gap with men. According to government data published in a recent human rights report, a 27-year-old woman in South Korea earns on average 8% less than her male counterparts, and this gap increases to 50% by the age of 50.
Income Gap and Structural Barriers
South Korea is recognized as a global industrial and technological power, yet the gender wage gap in this country has recorded the highest levels in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) since comparative records began in 1992. Min Hee Kim, a women's rights activist in South Korea, states that the division of labor at home directly leads to the division of labor in the job market.
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This issue is not limited to lower pay for women. According to Kim, as women age, the types of jobs available to them become more limited, and the consequences of low income, career interruptions, and unstable jobs accumulate.
Women's Experiences and Career Challenges
To prepare this report, human rights examined the career lives of 41 South Korean women aged 28 to 87. These women clearly spoke about the changing nature of discrimination. Until the 1980s, the dismissal of women due to marriage was legal and widely accepted. Today, although it cannot be openly stated that 'we do not hire you because you are a woman,' caregiving responsibilities still fall on women, pushing them towards low-paying jobs.
Women told human rights that after leaving work for marriage or childbirth, their chances of returning to the workforce are limited to a few jobs like call centers, cleaning, or caregiving. Women who choose to focus on their careers face a glass ceiling in the workplace. In 2024, only 18% of managerial positions were held by women, and only five out of 38 senior government officials were women.
Data from the Ministry of Labor shows that women's wages peak in their early 30s and then steadily decline. The Ministry of Gender in South Korea has acknowledged that career interruptions, occupational segregation, and discrimination within organizations contribute to this gap.
This report clearly shows that women in South Korea suffer from similar experiences, and this structural discrimination has become not just an individual problem but a social issue. Kim believes that this issue cannot be solved with a single policy and that equal pay for equal work must be genuinely implemented.
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