"I Also Faced Sexist Questions"…The Ripple Effect of Dong-A Pharmaceutical's Interview

Donga Pharmaceutical Apologizes for Comments... Boycott Continues
Applicant Says "It Is Not a Matter to Be Replaced by the Word 'Unpleasant'"
Women Share Experiences of Gender Discrimination in Interviews
No Gender Discrimination Reports Against Donga Pharmaceutical Filed with Ministry of Employment

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] Dong-A Pharmaceutical suffered a significant blow to its corporate image after it was revealed that female applicants were asked gender-discriminatory questions during interviews. The majority of women still face gender-biased questions during the hiring process, and workplace gender discrimination culture continues to persist.

Recently, after Dong-A Pharmaceutical appeared on a YouTube program, a post written by a female applicant, Ms. A, sparked controversy. Ms. A was asked by the head of HR during the interview about her thoughts on men who have completed military service receiving higher salaries than women who have not. She was also asked if she would consider joining the military if it were possible to fulfill military service. In contrast, male applicants were asked about which unit they served in and what difficulties they faced during their military service.

According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor on the 13th, no reports regarding gender-discriminatory hiring practices at Dong-A Pharmaceutical have been filed so far. The Ministry explained that labor inspections or investigations related to gender-discriminatory hiring at individual companies can only proceed if a report is filed. A ministry official stated, "Since no reports have been received, the situation assessment for individual case investigations has not yet been conducted."

Apology statement from Dong-A Pharmaceutical posted as a comment on the YouTube Nego King page

Dong-A Pharmaceutical apologized in the comments of the video, stating that the recruitment officer asked an unpleasant question and that disciplinary actions would be taken. Choi Hojin, president of Dong-A Pharmaceutical, said, "It was confirmed that the question deviated from the interview manual and caused discomfort to the applicant. We sincerely apologize to the applicant." He added, "We will discipline the interviewer involved and strengthen internal training for interviewers to prevent recurrence." Dong-A Pharmaceutical explained that the question was asked because they were preparing to reform the internal HR system and discussing the socially sensitive issue of additional pay for new hires who have completed military service.

On the 10th, Ms. A pointed out the inadequacies in Dong-A Pharmaceutical’s response through a post on Brunch. She said, "There was already a common question about logical reasoning on social issues, so I wonder why only I was asked to reason about social issues unrelated to the job." She also stated, "The data on the female hiring rate at Dong-A Pharmaceutical was distributed to the media, but the gender discrimination I experienced at that time and place has nothing to do with that data, and the numbers do not negate the discrimination I faced." Although she raised concerns about the interview on JobPlanet last November, it was not acknowledged, and she dismissed the apology posted in the YouTube comments as insincere. Ms. A demanded a sincere apology, saying, "This is not just a matter of one interviewer failing to follow the manual, and it cannot be dismissed as mere discomfort."

Criticism has also arisen that Dong-A Pharmaceutical’s apology attempts to downplay the issue by attributing the disciplinary action and the uncomfortable question to the mistake of a single individual. Some female consumers have even launched a boycott of Dong-A Pharmaceutical products, arguing that it is unacceptable for a company selling women’s products to ask female applicants gender-discriminatory questions.

This controversy has prompted many women to share their experiences of gender discrimination during interviews. They say they lacked the courage to speak out like Ms. A. Ms. B, a woman in her 30s working in an office, said, "Interviewers casually ask unmarried women if they have boyfriends or when they plan to get married." She added, "Married acquaintances have been asked during interviews how they will manage childcare with frequent overtime and whether they are okay with only three months of maternity leave." Mr. C, a man in his 40s, said, "Although hiring is done blindly, female applicants have been indirectly asked about their marital status by questions like 'How many family members do you have?' or 'Who do you live with?'"

'Interview Checklist' Items Included in the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family's Manual on Gender-Equal Hiring

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family published a guidebook on gender-equal hiring in 2019, specifying ▲gender-equal hiring ▲examples of inappropriate questions during interviews. Asking gender-discriminatory questions during the hiring process is considered a representative example of gender discrimination. The gender-equal hiring manual checklist includes items such as "Before the interview, interviewers must sign a pledge regarding fairness and prohibition of gender discrimination," and "Before the interview, interviewers must be educated not to ask questions unrelated to job performance, such as physical conditions, marriage, childbirth, childcare plans, gender stereotypes, or questions that cause sexual embarrassment." Of course, the problem is that such manuals are not followed in the workplace.

A Ministry of Gender Equality and Family official said, "Gender discrimination does not end as a simple personnel issue but expands to corporate image and social issues, so companies must manage it and recognize its importance." The official added, "Companies should be aware of the potential for gender discrimination and work on necessary measures for gender-equal hiring, including distributing related manuals."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.