Employment of Women by Top Corporations on the Rise in Korea

As of end of June 2004, one out of five workers at South Korea's top 30 listed companies were women.
This shows that more women are finding jobs at top companies in Korea that have traditionally been dominated by men.

Why the change?
In Korea, lower average salaries and a perception that women offer skills including a greater attention to detail are some of the reasons why female employees are favored over male counterparts.

During the first half of this year, the number of female employees rose 6.2 percent from the same period last year, to total 79,000 out of 404,000 employees.

The figure is almost twice as large as the increase seen in the number of male employees. According to Korea Stock Exchange and the regulatory Financial Supervisory Service, women now account for 19 percent of the total number of employees at South Korea's largest companies, a ratio that's been growing over the past years.

According to the Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo, women receive lower salaries than men and were usually hired on annual contract terms. This has increased their appeal during slow economic conditions.