"South Korea Ranks 101st out of 148 in Gender Gap... Time to Narrow the 'Leadership Gap'"

Academy Holds Forum to Strengthen Leadership of Women in Science and Technology
"More Policies, but the Glass Ceiling Remains"

The gender gap in South Korea remains significant. According to the 2024 Global Gender Gap Index (GGI) published by the World Economic Forum (WEF), South Korea ranks 101st out of 148 countries, still placing it in the lower tier.

Although women’s participation in higher education is high, the gap in leadership, decision-making, and wages has not narrowed. The field of science and technology is no exception.

On November 11, the National Academy of Science and Technology of Korea will hold the 243rd Academy Roundtable under the theme "Women’s Leadership in Science and Technology in Korea: Challenges and Opportunities." The event aims to diagnose the structural causes of this issue and seek ways to promote women’s leadership in the science and technology sector.

Online Invitation for Women Leadership in Science and Technology. Provided by the National Academy of Science and Technology of Korea

The number of women in science and technology in Korea has steadily increased, now accounting for around 30% of all researchers. However, women remain a minority in key decision-making positions such as heads of research institutes, university presidents, and society presidents. This demonstrates that while quantitative growth has been achieved, there is still a long way to go in terms of qualitative representation.

The Academy has organized this roundtable as the first official event of the Women Scientists Committee. The goal is to achieve "career continuity without interruption" and to "restore the structure for substantial advancement into leadership roles."

The first presenter, Professor Cho Yeonju of the University of Texas at Tyler, will analyze "why Korea’s economic success has not translated into improved social status for women" based on her research "Korean Women Leaders: Research 2015-2025."

She conducted in-depth interviews with 195 women leaders from various sectors in Korean society and pointed out that the leadership structure is still centered around "symbolic female executives." She will emphasize that without broadening the base of women’s participation and granting them real authority, change will remain elusive.

Shin Yonghyun, Distinguished Professor at Yonsei University (and former National Assembly member), will compare domestic and international policy trends and key cases under the theme "Is the Policy for Women in Science and Technology Sufficient as It Is?" She plans to point out that "while Korea has many systems, it lacks effective implementation," and that urgent improvements are needed in supporting women scientists’ return after career interruptions, enhancing promotion and evaluation systems, and strengthening research leadership development programs.

She will also explain the need to refer to the mentoring-based leadership pipeline systems in Nordic countries and the dedicated funding programs for women in science and technology in Japan.

The designated discussion will be chaired by Professor Bu Haryeong of Konkuk University, with participation from Kwon Daeyoung, Chairman of the Food Culture Science Institute; Kim Sanggeon, Professor at Dongguk University; Kim Eunju, Professor at Seoul National University of Science and Technology; Shin Dongwon, Professor at Jeonbuk National University; Lim Mihee, Professor at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology; and Jeon Hyeyoung, Professor at Yonsei University.

They will discuss issues such as the institutional limitations faced by women in government-funded research institutes, the difficulties of career interruption and re-entry, and the lack of female university presidents. The discussion will highlight that innovation in organizational culture and leadership structures, rather than simply increasing ratios, is necessary.

Jung Jin-ho, President of the National Academy of Science and Technology of Korea, stated, "As the outflow of science and technology talent intensifies, diversity and inclusion are not a choice but a survival strategy. We will closely examine the realities faced by women scientists in leadership roles, which have often gone unnoticed, and concretize institutional support measures to expand women’s leadership."

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