[K Population Strategy] "Male Employees Also Take Parental Leave... Building Consensus Within the Company Is Important"

by Jeong Donghoon

Published 02 May.2024 12:00(KST)

Updated 02 May.2024 14:45(KST)

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First Female Executive from Taekwang Insider, Lee Chung-hyo, T-cast Managing Director

38% of Current Executives Are Women
Flexible Work System and Women's Lounge Operated

"The stable family life of employees with children in their childcare period ultimately forms the basic foundation of their work life. It is also important to build a consensus within the company that supports child-rearing at home, to the extent that not only female employees but also male employees can take parental leave."

Lee Chung-hyo, Executive Director of Taekwang Group, is being interviewed at Heungkuk Life Insurance Building in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jo Yong-jun jun21@

This is what Lee Choong-hyo, Executive Director of T-cast and the first female executive in the 73-year history of Taekwang Group, said. T-cast is a Taekwang Group affiliate that operates specialized cable channels such as movies, entertainment, and dramas, and is engaged in direct content production. Director Lee joined T-cast in 2014 and has been recognized for her abilities while working in the movie channel team, content business team, and others for over 10 years. Although there have been several female executives recruited externally, she is the first to be appointed as an executive through internal promotion.

She has felt the changes in the company over the past decade. She said, "Even though the company has a high percentage of women, there was a time 7 or 8 years ago when I was the only female team leader," but added, "Now, 38% of managers at team leader level or above are women, which is a significant change. Moving forward, we need to create an atmosphere where anyone with leadership qualities can become a leader regardless of gender."

Director Lee started her career at Samsung Video Business Group and worked in content planning and strategy at On-Media and CJ ENM. She said, "When I started working, cable TV channels were just emerging, and I grew through collaboration and trial and error in what was then a new media business. During the period when terrestrial broadcasters monopolized broadcast content production, we operated channels by acquiring domestic and international content or producing small amounts of content. Now, we are working together in the era of online video services (OTT)." Director Lee emphasized the importance of 'collaboration' in the content industry. She explained that creating and broadcasting a piece of content requires cooperation and coordination with numerous stakeholders throughout the process of market research, selecting appropriate content, and production.

Lee Chung-hyo, Executive Director of Taekwang Group, is being interviewed at the Heungkuk Life Insurance Building in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jo Yong-jun jun21@

She also views work-family balance systems as a form of social collaboration. Director Lee said, "The content industry starts with understanding people and constantly observing the surroundings. By utilizing work-family balance systems, people go through life processes such as childcare and nurturing, which helps them empathize with and think about the concerns and lifestyles of those around them." She added, "Ultimately, these processes lead to passion for work and translate into company achievements and resources."

T-cast has a high proportion of female employees, reaching 60%. Director Lee explained, "We implement 'T-Work,' which allows flexible start times such as 8, 9, or 10 a.m., and this has been highly appreciated by mothers with children attending daycare. Last year, during office remodeling, we created a women's lounge, and a culture where parental leave following maternity leave can be taken without hesitation has been established, earning us a reputation as a company that is great for raising children."

T-cast operates a casual women-only chat room for communication when using the women's lounge. This encourages flexible communication by naturally opening light suggestions and discussions outside of official work.

Director Lee said, "Nowadays, those who give a hard time to employees using work-family balance systems seem outdated, as the atmosphere has changed so much. Employees who have taken maternity and parental leave return to their positions and perform well, creating a virtuous cycle." As the first female executive, she told her female juniors, "I hope they think that 'it’s not over until it’s over, and being consistent for a long time becomes my expertise.' I want to tell them not to lose their center by getting caught up in others’ evaluations."