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47 Big businesses have recently been paving the way for more women in top positions, with women taking a slew of high-profile jobs in the past few years. In 2012, five Korean banks announced appointments of female execu- tives, and Deutsche Bank Korea appointed its first female chief earlier this year. While this is a promising trend, women are still under- represented in public institutions. In January 2013, it was reported that women accounted for 272 of the 2,993 directors at 288 public institutions, with only 16 of these agencies being run by female executives. Early last year, a group of lawmakers proposed a bill to imple- ment a quota that would see women account for 30 percent of board members of state-run corporations and public organizations in five years — emphasizing how difficult it is for women to break the glass ceiling. This issue did not go unnoticed by President Park. In her presidential campaign in 2012, Park pledged to increase employment by the end of her term. Then in June 2013, the Min- istry of Employment announced its “Road Map to Achieve a 70 Percent Employment Rate,” which aims to create an average of 476,000 jobs annually by 2017 and, in the process, make the workplace more accessible to wom- en. The road map aspires to encourage a work and life balance by creating decent part-time jobs that meet voluntary personal needs and is additionally free of discrimination and guaran- tees basic working conditions. It also aims to create 250,000 female-friendly social service jobs, reduce working hours and expand public and in-company child care services. Samsung Group and Lotte both responded to Park’s call to get women back to work by offering flexible part-time positions with ben- efits included. In November last year, Sam- sung announced that it would create 6,000 high-level part-time jobs with accommodating work hours. However, in February it was re- ported that the conglomerate hired just over 1,000 women mainly in their 30s and 40s due to the underwhelming number of applicants. Several government departments have come together to fulfill Park’s pledges, and 4.6 trillion won ($4.4 billion) has reportedly been allocated by the Ministry of Strategy and Finance this year for government projects re- lated to supporting women in the workplace. New measures include replacing maternity leave and paternity leave with a single pater- nal leave, which will make it more attractive for men to take time off work. Women who decide not to take leave can instead opt to work a shorter workweek for 60 percent of their base salary for two years, an increase from 40 percent in the current system. However, Song from the KWWA sees these government plans as a way to fulfill targets rather than to s upply quality jobs. “The gov- ernment has just limited (women’s) time and work ability,” she says. According to Song, government policy that reduces work hours is leaving fewer women with regular secure jobs and endorsing a patriarchal culture. “This opportunity by the government has limited a woman’s ability to work. They are focusing more on women raising their kids, not on their ability to work in society,” she says. A new generation of women is now entering Korea’s workforce. While their perception of a woman’s role in a corporation has changed since their parents’ generation, the discrimi- nation that awaits them hardly has. Park Hee- won, a graduate student at Ewha Womans University, has already been warned by her family to prepare for gender discrimination when she enters the workforce. “My grandma still works in a company and every time I meet her, she’s like, ‘No matter how (great) of a de- gree you have, a master’s or a Ph.D., there’s this invisible ceiling and it’s difficult for you to go up (the corporate ladder), especially if you are planning to get married,’” she says. “One of the reasons I came to graduate school was I didn’t want to face discrimination when I get into a company.” Ahn He-rim, a graduate student in Seoul who acquired most of her education abroad, says that while she receives encouragement from her parents to do what she wants, gender stereotypes are reinforced. “I have a younger brother and Mom says to him, ‘You have to have economic stability.’ And I say to her, ‘I’m a girl, I can make money too, better than him.’ She says, ‘I know that, but in this Korean soci- ety that’s not acceptable, and I don’t want you to face prejudice or discrimination because you tried to be different,’” she says. While Ahn believes things are beginning to get better for working women in terms of ma- ternity leave, she feels that Korean society is hindering further progress because it is still a young country. “We had to go through a war and colonization and building up our econo- my. We had to do those things first and rights came after,” she says. “It’s taking us a little bit more time because we are trying to do it in such a short period.” For Park and Ahn, the inability to change the perception that a woman should quit her job to raise a family is further marred by a fear that society has placed on being different. Even with government efforts to make the corpo- rate environment better for women, marriage still tops the list of reasons Korean women quit their job, according to a report released by the Federation of Korean Industries earlier this year. Park Sang-eun, an illustrator, feels that she has been labeled an “outsider” for not adher- ing to the Korean female stereotype. At 37 she is divorced, has no children and feels that women are being forced to choose between having a career or having a family. “My generation, we don’t think that we have to be a homemaker. We don’t think like that, but Korean companies and the government (think) if we have a job then we have to lose our children, or if we choose our children we have to lose our job,” she says. In the midst of all this negativity, she says she feels that a change is happening, but is not sure if Korea is ready to embrace it just yet. “Koreans know that society is changing a lot, but they are following the same old rules,” she says. She says she hopes for the day women are able to have more freedom to do what they want instead of following outdated traditions. “Don’t say to us, ‘You must be a homemaker or get married soon,’” she says. “We just want to live our lives. Just let us live our lives.” Top-down efforts to change the tide The new generation The after-work socializing culture in Korean business is viewed as a way to bond with work colleagues and seniors on a less formal basis. Recently, however, it has garnered attention for eliciting inappropriate behavior from seniors toward their employees. But women often feel that they can’t report such harassment, and accept it as a part of working life. ‘Don’t say to us, “You must be a homemaker or get married soon.” We just want to live our lives. Just let us live our lives.’ Park Sang-eun, illustrator