Following Japan’s surrender, bringing an end to World War II, the Republic of Korea was established. In 1948, the country’s current constitution was drafted granting women the right to vote and proclaiming, “All citizens shall be equal before the law, and there shall be no discrimination in political, economic, societal or cultural life on account of sex, religion or social status.” Two years later, the Korean War began with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) and the First Republic of Korea (South Korea) fighting for control of the peninsula. Korean women played a vital role during the war with more than 120,000 serving on active duty with many providing health care services on the frontlines. The war ended in 1953 with the status quo (i.e., North and South Korea) being reinforced and the establishment of the Korean Demilitarized Zone at the 38th parallel. As a result of their contributions during the war, the Korean government began implementing policies designed to expand women’s role in society while promoting gender equality. The Labor Standard Act was enacted after the war’s end guaranteeing equality in employment, and in 1959 the National Council of Women was established to protect and promote women’s rights. Despite the great progress immediately following the war, South Korea has failed to make substantial gains toward advancing the rights of women. According to the 2021 Global Gender Gap Report, South Korea ranks 123 out of 153 countries in terms of economic participation and opportunity for women and has one of the largest wage gaps of any industrialized nation. Women hold just 17 percent of seats in Parliament and according to a Korean Women Workers Association survey, 74 percent of working women say they have experienced “some form of gender discrimination, including sexual harassment and wage discrimination.” In 2013, Park Geun-hye became the first female President of South Korea as well as the first female head of state in East Asia. However, she was impeached in 2017 and is currently serving a 25-year prison sentence on corruption charges, further invalidating women’s leadership capabilities. Fortunately, feminism runs deep in South Korea and women’s rights organizations such as the Korean Women’s Associations United, the Korea Foundation for Women and the Korean Women Workers Association are working to hold the government to account while advocating for women across all sectors of society.
Less than a year after the establishment of the Republic of Korea in 1948, the government set out to use sport as a tool for constructing its national identity. The first National Girls’ and Women’s Sport Games were held a year later, with soccer, basketball, and volleyball matches drawing national attention. In the 1948 Olympics, Park Bong-Sik became the first woman to represent South Korea on the international stage. Since they first participated in the Olympics, female athletes have won 127 of the country’s 287 total medals. In 1972, Cho Keum-Im became the first woman to represent South Korea in the Paralympics and win a medal when she brought home gold and silver in archery and a silver medal in dartchery. The national soccer team has qualified for three World Cups and the national volleyball team has made 12 Olympic appearances winning at the 1976 Montreal Games. Figure skater, Yuna Kim, is one of the most decorated female athletes in South Korea. She won gold at the 2010 Vancouver Games, and silver in 2014. She’s also a two-time World Champion and a three-time Grand Prix Final champion. She was granted the honor of lighting the Olympic torch during the 2018 Winter Olympic opening ceremony in PyeongChang.
Meet and support global leaders creating change in South Korea:
Minjei Jeon
Meeran Kim
How does South Korea compare to other countries?
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Women in Leadership
PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN IN PARLIAMENT AS OF 2020
17%
PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN IN MINISTRY POSITIONS AS OF 2020
22%
Has a Woman Ever Been Head of State or Head of Government?
Park Geun-Hye, 2013 - 2017
HAS A WOMAN EVER BEEN SPORTS MINISTER?
Cho Yoon-Sun, 2016 - 2017
Title IX Timeline
1948
Republic of Korea was established and women gained the right to vote (full suffrage). Park Bong-Sik became the first woman to represent South Korea in the Olympics.
1950
Korean War begins with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) and the First Republic of Korea (South Korea) fighting for control of the peninsula.
1953
Korean War ends with the status quo (i.e., North and South Korea) being reinforced and the establishment of the Korean Demilitarized Zone at the 38th parallel.
1972
Cho Keum-Im became the first woman to represent South Korea in the Paralympics and win Paralympic medals (silver & gold- archery, silver- dartchery).
1976
The women’s national volleyball team became the first female athletes from South Korea to win an Olympic medal (bronze).
1984
South Korea ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
2013
Park Geun-hye became the first female President of South Korea.
Women in the olympics
participation through the years
-
0
-
2
-
48
-
28
-
203
-
210
-
360
-
312
-
105
Women in the Paralympics
participation through the years
-
0
-
1
-
24
-
12
-
48
-
67
-
28
Elite Sports Participation
First Year Women Participated In The Olympics
1948
Year Women’s Participation In Olympics Was Equal To Men’s
1972
First Time A Woman Won An Olympic Medal
Women's National Volleyball Team: 1976 (Bronze)
First Year Women Participated In The Paralympics
1972
Year Women’s Participation In Paralympics Was Equal To Men’s
As of 2020, women's participation was still less than men's.
First Time A Woman Won A Paralympic Medal
Cho Keum-Im: 1972, Archery (Gold & Silver) Darchery (Silver)
FIFA
Fédération Internationale de Football Association
National Women’s Team?
Yes
First Year Of Play
1990
Pay Gap Comparison
Pay Unknown
Gender Initiatives
In 2021, the Korean Pro-Footballer’s Association appointed Ji So-Yun as co-president – the first time in the organization’s history the association will be run by a male and a female, thus promoting player rights and development for both men and women.
FIFA is committed to the growth and development of women’s football around the globe.
For More Information
FIBA
Fédération Internationale de Basketball
National Women’s Team?
Yes
First Year Of Play
1959
Pay Gap Comparison
Paid Less than the Men's Team as of 2022
Gender Initiatives
Increasing the participation of women in basketball at all levels was named as one of FIBA’s eight strategic objectives (2019- 2027) and one of FIBA’s three strategic priorities (2019-2023).
For More Information
LOCAL
Sports
Initiatives
Community Organizations That Have Signed The Brighton + Helsinki Declaration
Korea Bobsleigh Skeleton Federation (South Korea)
