SEOUL, October 2 (AJP) - Many women, particularly those in state-run and public-sector jobs, still struggle to climb the career ladder due to a persistent glass ceiling in South Korean society.
According to data from the Ministry of Personnel Management submitted to lawmaker Kwang Hyang-yeop of the ruling Democratic Party, women accounted for only 12.9 percent of high-level government posts, with just 201 among 1,554 senior officials, as of December last year.
Gender disparity is particularly stark in economic ministries. The Ministry of Economy and Finance has only 3 women among 61 senior officials (4.9 percent), while the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy has 3 women among 52 officials (5.8 percent).
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries has only one woman among 41 officials (2.4 percent), and the National Tax Service also has just one woman among 39 officials (2.6 percent).
But the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has four women among 29 officials (13.8 percent), slightly above the average, and the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Fair Trade Commission's ratio for female public servants also surpasses 10 percent.
One female official expressed concerns about her career due to the lack of female role models in senior positions, raising questions about whether promotions or advancement opportunities are as fair as in private-sector jobs.
The government plans to strengthen relevant policies in hiring and managing personnel to tackle these disparities. "We will promote diversity and ensure greater balance in recruitment to better address these concerns," vowed Yoo Seung-joo, head of the Ministry of Personnel Management.
* This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP.
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