South Korean females earn 29% less than their male counterparts on average

The Korean Women's Development Institute (KWDI) has released its annual Korea Gender Statistics, a crucial tool for tracking and evaluating gender disparities in employment, family policy, and social participation in South Korea.

According to the report, South Korea has the largest gender wage gap among Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member states. In 2024, Korean women earned on average 29% less than men, a statistic that continues to be the largest among OECD economies.

In the same year, 23.8% of female workers in Korea were classified as low-wage earners, more than double the proportion of men at 11.1%. This trend is a cause for concern, as experts attribute the high numbers of low-wage female workers to systemic inequalities that undermine women's economic status and reinforce labor market imbalances.

However, the report also highlights that policy support and institutional mechanisms can be effective in narrowing gender disparities, as seen in Northern and Western European countries, where pay gaps are relatively small. The gender wage gap in Sweden stands at 7.5%, and in Australia, it is 10.7%. The OECD average wage gap in 2023 stood at 11.3%.

In an effort to improve the quality of women's employment and build a more gender-equal labor market, the KWDI has emphasized the need for structural reforms. These reforms include enhancing wage transparency, supporting women's career continuity, and boosting quality employment opportunities for women.

President of the Korean Women's Development Institute, Kim Jong-sook, stated that while progress has been made, more needs to be done. The gender wage gap in South Korea decreased from 34.1% in 2018 to 29.3% in 2023, but it remains more than double the OECD average.

The KWDI's focus on structural reforms aims to address systemic inequalities that disproportionately affect female workers in Korea. The institute believes that these reforms will not only improve the quality of women's employment but also contribute to a more balanced and equitable labor market in South Korea.