Experts of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women Commend Republic of Korea for Efforts to Promote Inclusive Education, Raise Questions on the Risk of Forced Prostitution for Migrant Workers and the Gender Wage Gap
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women today concluded its consideration of the ninth periodic report of the Republic of Korea. Committee Experts commended the State for measures taken to promote women’s access to higher education and science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects, while raising questions on subjects including the risk of forced prostitution for migrants holding E62 entertainment visas and the gender wage gap.
A Committee Expert welcomed measures taken by the State party since the last review, including to promote women’s access to higher education and science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects, and to eliminate gender stereotypes. Positive results had been yielded in this field. The Expert also commended the State party for accepting the Committee’s recommendation to revise the curriculum and teach students about sexual health.
A Committee Expert said Filipina women were at great risk of being forced into prostitution in the Republic of Korea. Were there plans to revise the entertainment visa regime? Were potential exploitative establishments near United States military bases screened? Was there an initiative to cooperate with the United States to share information on sex trafficking schemes?
Another Expert asked about the wage gap between men and women, which was at 31 per cent. What was being done to reduce this gap and guarantee a better working environment for women? Many women were working extended hours; what was being done to reduce the number of hours worked and incorporate more women into the formal economy?
The delegation said since January 2022, the Government had restricted the handling of the E62 entertainment visas by third parties to reduce the likelihood of human rights violations. Premises which were applying for the visas for the first time were visited by Government officials to ensure no illegal activity or exploitation was being conducted.
The Government was expanding work-life balance systems to miminise women’s career interruption, including through reducing working hours during pregnancy and child rearing, the delegation said. Since 2020, businesses had been required to submit wage data disaggregated by gender to encourage autonomous correction of gender wage gaps. The Government was aiming to expand support systems for childbirth and childcare and create flexible working environments.
Kinam Kim, Assistant Minister, Planning and Coordination Office, Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and Head of the Delegation, introducing the report, said the Government had striven to reform laws and institutions and make policy improvements for women across all of society. Under the Framework Act on Gender Equality, the Government put in place the Gender Equality Committee, chaired by the Prime Minister, to oversee and coordinate gender equality policies across different ministries. To help women improve their job skills, the 159 Women’s Reemployment Centers across the nation offered comprehensive employment support and career-interruption prevention assistance.
In closing remarks, Mr. Kim expressed gratitude to the Committee for the dialogue. The Republic of Korea had taken efforts to eliminate gender discrimination through increasing women’s political participation, establishing a system for work life balance and providing support to victims of violence. The Government was committed to widely disseminating the recommendations of the Committee.
Ana Peláez Narváez, Committee Chairperson, thanked the delegation for the constructive dialogue with the Committee, which helped it to better understand the situation of women and girls in the Republic of Korea.
The delegation of the Republic of Korea was comprised of representatives from the Ministry of Gender, Equality and Family; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the Ministry of Health and Welfare; the Ministry of Justice; the Ministry of Employment and Labor; the Human Rights of Women and Children Division; the Supreme Court of Korea; the Seoul Family Court; the Health and Welfare Committee; the Gender Equality and Family Committee; the National Assembly Secretariat; and the Permanent Mission of Republic of Korea to the United Nations Office at Geneva.
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women’s eighty-eighth session is being held from 13 May to 31 May. All documents relating to the Committee’s work, including reports submitted by States parties, can be found on the session’s webpage. Meeting summary releases can be found here. The webcast of the Committee’s public meetings can be accessed via the UN Web TV webpage.
The Committee will next meet in public at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, 15 May to consider the third periodic report of Montenegro (CEDAW/C/MNE/3).
Report
The Committee has before it the ninth periodic report of Republic of Korea (CEDAW/C/KOR/9).
Presentation of Report
KINAM KIM, Assistant Minister, Planning and Coordination Office, Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, said since the Committee published its concluding observations in 2018, the Republic of Korea had endeavored to implement the Committee’s recommendations. The Government had striven to reform laws and institutions and make policy improvements for women across all of society. Under the Framework Act on Gender Equality, the Government put in place the Gender Equality Committee, chaired by the Prime Minister, to oversee and coordinate gender equality policies across different ministries. The Third Basic Plan for Gender Equality Policies (2023-2027) was newly developed in 2023, setting policy tasks to ensure everyone could enjoy gender equality policies, by incorporating the findings of the third fact-finding survey on gender equality and the feedback collected from a public contest for gender equality policy ideas. For the past five years, a total of 150,000 Gender Impact Assessments were conducted on laws and projects by the central and local governments. For the same period, special gender impact assessments were carried out for 49 policies related to employment, healthcare and welfare. Republic of Korea’s 2024 gender-responsive budget stood at approximately 17.3 billion United States dollars, a 3.2-fold increase from the initial 5.5 billion in 2010.
The Government’s new Plan for Improving Gender Representation in the Public Sector would be implemented from 2023 to 2027, aiming to increase the percentage of females in the senior civil service from 11.5 percent in 2023 to 13.5 percent in 2027. To address the low level of women’s participation in politics, the Public Official Election Act set goal quotas of women candidates accounting for at least 50 per cent of the representation nominations and at least 30 per cent of the local constituency nominations. So far, this had achieved a small increase of female law makers to 20 per cent. Likewise, to bolster women’s representation in the private sector, the Financial Investment Services and Capital Markets Act was amended in 2020 to prohibit stock-listed corporations with more than a certain amount of equity capital from constituting their entire board of directors with members of a specific gender only. As a result, the share of female board executives, which stood at 4.9 per cent in 2020, rose to 16.3 per cent by 2023.
In 2019, the Framework Act on Prevention of Violence against Women entered into force and the First Basic Plan of Policies to Prevent Violence against Women was formulated in 2020. Two Acts relating to the Punishment of Stalking Crime, implemented in 2021 and 2023, imposed stricter punishments for stalking and enhanced support to victims. In April 2018, the Advocacy Center for Online Sexual Abuse Victims was launched, providing support to victims, such as content deletion support, counseling services and medical and legal assistance. Since its inception, the number of cases of victim support had significantly increased from around 34,000 in 2018 to approximately 276,000 in 2023. The Government enacted the Act on Prevention of Human Trafficking and Protection of Victims, which was enforced in January 2023. The First Comprehensive Plan for the Prevention of Human Trafficking (2023-2027) was implemented and a hotline dedicated to victims of human trafficking was created. Since 2023, support services for victims of violence, including domestic violence and sexual violence, had been offered at 1,366 integrated support centers at the city, county and district level.
The 42 Educational Support Centers for Women with Disabilities across the country, offered services for women with disabilities, including counseling based on life cycle, information on legal, medical, housing and employment support, and tailored capacity-building programmes. There were 231 Multicultural Family Support Centers across the nation that provided comprehensive support for immigrant women, including counseling, translation, Korean language courses and referral to other support agencies, to help them integrate into Korean society. The Government continued to implement farming environment improvement projects to empower women farmers and train the trainers to raise awareness of gender equality in agriculture and promote a gender-equal culture in rural areas. Since 2022, women farmers had been subject to medical examinations screening for common occupational diseases, such as pesticide poisoning. In 2024, the Government significantly scaled up support for welfare programs, including by raising the age limit for the child-rearing allowance from children under 18 years of age to under 22 years of age. The Government would continue to raise the income threshold for the welfare allowance.
To help women improve their job skills, the 159 Women’s Reemployment Centers across the nation offered comprehensive employment support and career-interruption prevention assistance. The Government was also striving to promote work-life balance to address the root causes of women’s career interruption. The working hour reduction subsidy was in place during child-rearing years, and consulting services were provided to businesses to promote flexible work arrangements in the workplace. The Government also introduced the Family-Friendly Business Certification Program. As of 2023, more than 5,900 companies were certified as family-friendly, and the Government planned to actively identify effective incentives and encourage more participation from businesses.
The Government of Republic of Korea had made a total contribution of 59 million United States dollars to United Nations Women, reinforcing its international commitment to advancing the status of women. In August 2022, the United Nations Women Center of Excellence for Gender Equality was established in Seoul, conducting research and development projects, providing education and training and building partnerships to contribute to achieving gender equality across Asia and the Pacific. Mr. Kim concluded by extending gratitude to the Committee for their dedication to advancing women’s rights.
Statement by the National Human Rights Institution
National Human Rights Commission of Korea said plans had been made to abolish the Ministry of Equality and Family. The Ministry was established in 2021, in response to long-standing demands from women’s groups, but was now being absorbed into other departments. The Ministry should not be abolished, but instead should be strengthened. The Government’s commitment to implementing the Committee’s recommendations was virtually invisible. The Government needed to make concrete efforts to provide reparations to victims of trafficking and improve their protection. Korea needed to enhance the representation of women in various sectors. It was imperative to facilitate access to safe abortion services and gender-based violence should be actively tackled. Measures needed to be taken to enhance the independence of the National Human Rights Commission.
Questions by Committee Experts
RANGITA DE SILVA DE ALWIS, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur for Republic of Korea, noted that the Constitutional Court also invalidated the hoju (male head of household) system but the Civil Act required children to use their father’s family name. What was the status of the bill that had been introduced to amend the law? What was the status of the pending bills passed in relation to the Court’s ruling that the Law on the Criminalization of Abortion was unconstitutional? The Korean Government had a strong anti-discrimination provision in Article 11 of the Constitution. Yet, South Korea was yet to pass a comprehensive anti-discrimination law. When would this be drafted? Would the State consider repealing the proposed law to dismantle the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family?
Anti-feminist rhetoric seemed to be spawning a harmful youth movement, reversing prior gains and spilling into law making. How could a more gender equal national narrative be created? How could harmful narratives be revised with positive rhetoric? How could shared rights of parenting be promoted? Given the growing spectrum of security challenge threats and increasing proliferation of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles in North Korea, how were women involved in contingency planning to respond to possible nuclear use and to deepen counter-missile strategy? How were women engaged in the Non-Proliferation Treaty?
In November 2023, the Seoul High Court, in a landmark case, used the theory of customary international law to overturn a lower court's rejection of a suit filed by comfort women and ordered compensation to each of the 16 victims. Would the State consider expanding its curricular and educational reform on gender equality to include sexual violence in conflict? What was the State party’s concrete plan to protect victims of military sexual slavery?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said an alternative system had been developed to overcome the patriarchal system and promote women’s rights. Additional research would be needed to overhaul the hoju system and improve legislative processes. In the current legal framework, women’s surnames were not automatically changed to those of their husbands when they married. Such a change could be made on request and with the permission of the court.
In April 2019, the Constitutional Court ruled certain provisions of the Act regarding abortion as “unconformable”, demanding legislative improvements. It was important to note that the decision did not define the Act as being unconstitutional. The Government had respected the decision of the court and supported legislative efforts in this regard. Regarding induced abortions, the revision of the Mother and Child Health Act was permitted to the National Assembly. The Act would provide detailed procedures, including the basis for psychological counselling. A decision had been made to continue the revision of the Act. As of August 2021, medical consultations on induced abortion were covered under public medical insurance, allowing women to obtain proper information from medical professionals. Currently, procedures were in place to remedy damage against sexual minorities. The Bill on Equality and Non-Discrimination had been proposed four times. This showed that many people empathised with the equality principle. Discussions and consultations would be required to obtain social consensus.
The responsibilities of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family would be transferred to the Ministry of Health, and therefore would not lead to a deterioration of women’s rights or gender policies. More often, countries were integrating gender into other ministries. The delegation did not believe that the organizational structure did not lead to lower levels of women’s empowerment or human rights. The Government was aiming to find integrated ways to provide public services. The equal employment opportunity act enabled harassed workers to be protected, including through paid leave and support to change position. If protective measures were not taken for harassed workers, the business owners would be required to refer the case to the Labour Commission. This had been in place since May 2022. Over 10 years, the Government had increased the parental leave benefits ten-fold. The Government was continuing to expand policies and increase income protection support.
The 2015 agreement on “comfort women victims” was an official agreement with Japan and the Government would continue to make steps to resolve this issue. Support was provided to the victims, including livelihood and medical expenses, and regular contact was kept with the victims to ascertain their mental state and ensure they could live without any inconvenience. To restore the honour of the victims and heal their emotion wounds, the Government was providing different programmes, including the inclusion of comfort women in the school curriculum. A Memorial Day commemorated Comfort Women every year. The future generations should sympathise with the pain of the comfort women and understand the values of peace and participate in this process. The Government would continue with these endeavors. The Government had established support centers in provinces where victims of sexual trafficking lived to provide support for their daily needs.
To protect maternity, the Government had welfare policies. Medical services were provided for childbirth. Everyone was a part of the national health insurance which provided coverage in this area.
Questions by Committee Experts
Another Committee Expert asked about the recommendations made by the Committee concerning an individual complaint of trafficking of three young Filipina women in the Golden Gate Club, located close to a United States military base in Republic of Korea. What had the State party done to comply with the recommendations? Had conversations been started with the United States military base?
Reponses by the Delegation
The delegation said the Government had submitted a report to the Committee last week, with a plan of action to implement each recommendation. Efforts to combat trafficking, improve the visa situation and train officials on trafficking were included in the report. The Committee’s views were translated into Korean and published online, so the public could understand the Optional Protocol procedure.
Questions by Committee Experts
A Committee Expert asked for information on plans regarding the Ministry of Family and Gender Equality; would the separation of the Ministry still mean gender mainstreaming was ensured? Could the delegation comment on the budget cuts to gender entities? What were the plans to address structural barriers leading to discrimination in the country?
Another Expert commended the Republic of Korea for its efforts to fulfil its obligations as a State party to the Convention. The Plan for Improving Gender Representation in the Public Sector had led to a significant increase in the education sector by 2022, which was noteworthy. However, the State Party report raised concerns on weak utilisation of temporary special measures. How effective had the existing Acts on gender equality been? What plans were underway to achieve gender parity in elected offices? Had temporary special measures been utilised to increase the proportion of women in senior official ranks? What progress had been made in the use of regulated policies to improve women’s participation? What indicators were used to benchmark success? How was women’s participation in South Korea being advanced? What was the Government’s plan to protect the rights of women, including those who were vulnerable?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said the Gender Equality Committee under the Prime Minister was tasked with diagnosing the level of gender equality in the country, to coordinate improvements and narrow gender gaps. Gender equality officers had been established from key ministries to operate a consultation mechanism on cultural policies. Gender impact assessment indicators were changed to be more specific. Performance evaluation was being conducted regarding the Government’s gender responsive budgets. The Korean Government ensured opportunities for civil society organizations to be involved in the creation of policies. There would be efficient distribution of the national budget.
From 2013, the Government had been working to enhance women’s representation in the public sector. A “Women’s Goal” had been set, and as a result, there was a continuous increase of women in public positions. It was hoped the proportion of women would be increased from 14 to 33 per cent. Through affirmative action, the State aimed to promote equality in employment, encouraging companies to meet the standard for female employment. Companies who were non-compliant with gender indices would be publicly announced and required to submit regular reports.
For local elections, 50 out of 100 nominations should be female. The Political Funds Act was revised in 2024 to include provisions that increased support payments for political parties that nominated more women. Special facilities were operating for migrant women and those with disabilities, offering them legal services. Support was provided for vulnerable women and victims of trafficking, including through legal aid.
Questions by Committee Experts
A Committee Expert asked for insight into temporary special measures in key economic sectors such as trade? How did these targets align in the provisions of the Convention?
RANGITA DE SILVA DE ALWIS, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur for Republic of Korea, asked if the State would consider rescinding the bill that was already in Parliament which sought to dissolve the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family?
A Committee Expert thanked the State for their positive opening statement, outlining the policies introduced for combatting gender inequality. The Constitutional Court had invalidated the patriarchal “hoju” system, under which a male-led family was the basic legal unit in society, which was a positive step. However, deep rooted discriminatory gender stereotypes were persistently prevalent in many spheres, including the home, workplace and education. Were there specific plans and programmes to address deep-rooted gender stereotypes and changing mindsets? Were there specific awareness raising and sensitisation programmes particularly targeting men, boys and youth?
What measures would the State Party take to strengthen the implementation and enforcement of the laws on violence against women with increased budget? What efforts would be made to amend the rape law based on consent? What steps would the State Party take to ensure that drug facilitated rapes could be adequately prosecuted and that perpetrators did not escape prosecution simply because a witness lacked memory of the event as a result of being drugged? What measures would be put in place to enact legislation that explicitly criminalised new forms of digital violence against women and girls?
Another Expert said new legislation on trafficking did not comply with the Paloma Protocol; would this be rectified? How was it ensured that the police, prosecutors and judiciary were trained in line with the Paloma Protocol? Filipina women were at great risk of being forced into prostitution in the Republic of Korea. Were there plans to revise the entertainment visa regime? Were potential exploitative establishments near United States military bases screened? Was there an initiative to cooperate with the United States to share information on sex trafficking schemes? How was it ensured that victims of trafficking had unlimited access to medical and legal services? What measures had the State party taken to prevent domestic workers from being exploited? Commercial sex services were widespread, as more than 50 per cent of the adult male population had admitted to purchasing sex, despite prostitution being illegal. Did the State party plan to decriminalise women in prostitution, as per the Committee’s recommendation?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said there would potentially be a renegotiation of the bill on the dissolution of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family in the next National Assembly, which would include the opinions of the Government.
The Korean Government had established a third gender equality basic plan, with the participation of different ministries, to spread a culture of gender equality. This was being implemented for the younger generation, where a rise in hate speech had been seen. Sexual violence victims needed to be protected from re-victimization. The Sentencing Commission revised sentencing standards through investigation and data analysis, and had significantly revised the sentencing guidelines for rape. The State would do its best to set fair sentencing guidelines in cases of sexual violence.
In 2015, the Government acceded to and ratified the Paloma Protocol, aligning with international standards. The Trafficking Action Plan had been developed and was being monitored. The Criminal Act prevented trafficking in persons and promoted aggravated penalties for crimes of this nature. An Act was in place to decriminalise sexual victims. Victim identification indicators were used for early detection of victims. Since January 2022, the Government had restricted the handling of the E62 entertainment visas by third parties to reduce the likelihood of human rights violations. Premises which were applying for the visas for the first time were visited by Government officials to ensure no illegal activity or exploitation was being conducted.
Questions by Committee Experts
An Expert said in August 2021, a Ministry of Justice Digital Sex Crime Taskforce had been developed to improve counter measures against digital sex crimes. How many recommendations made by the Ministry had been or would be implemented? There were many shelters in the country, but reports had been received that they were in poor conditions. Would the conditions of the shelters be improved, as well of the quality of the services which they offered?
Another Expert asked how many entertainment visas had been issued to women over the past five years? How many women with entertainment visas were identified as victims of trafficking over the past five years? Could more information on the visa process be provided?
RANGITA DE SILVA DE ALWIS, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur for Republic of Korea, said the State party was the leading producer of memory chips. Republic of Korea had model laws on digital privacy, but how was their implementation measured? How many cases had been brought to the courts regarding digital sex crimes?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said the State had seen a rise in digital sex crimes. To combat this, an Anti-Digital Crime Plan had been established in 2020. A dedicated unit on Digital Sex Crimes had also been established. Efforts to prevent digital sex crimes involved close cooperation with other countries. Stronger education was being provided in this regard.
The Government collected information on crimes regarding violence against women. In 2022, these statistics were published for the first time. A comprehensive survey on women’s violence was being established, and the main survey would be conducted in 2027.
Questions by Committee Experts
A Committee Expert said that a low 19 per cent of parliamentarians elected in the recent legislative elections in 2024 were women, due to the rise in power of an anti-feminist power movement. The time had come to ensure parity was a reality across the world. The State had confirmed their willingness to respect parity, but the resigning of the Minster of Parity and the absence of women in key ministerial posts brought this into question. Could the State’s commitment to parity be confirmed? Measures had been adopted to guarantee equal representation, and the goal of 33 per cent representation was noted. Would these measures be binding on businesses? What measures would be taken to condemn and prosecute perpetrators of hate speech and sexist acts, particularly on the internet? What measures would be taken to build a narrative on parity? What support was provided to organizations and defenders of women’s rights?
Another Expert said the Republic of Korea had acceded to key Conventions relating to statelessness. The Government had introduced a bill to establish a new birth registration system implemented by medical institutions. Migrant women faced issues in South Korea, including accessing medical services and with visas. What was the number of stateless women in Korea? When would the State party change the National Legislation Act to allow foreign spouses access to citizenship? Did the State party plan to ratify the Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness? What was the State party doing to ensure migrant women were given equal opportunity to obtain citizenship?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said annual targets were set to ensure women’s representation in the public sector, with the aim to raise the level of women in senior decision-making positions in the long term. The Korean Government was making policy efforts to help young people enter the labour market and create a fair employment culture with work-life balance. Different mechanisms were used to guarantee the participation of civil society and ensure their views were heard. Since 2018, the share of women within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had increased to more than 34 per cent.
According to the Nationality Act, if either parent was a national of the Republic of Korea at the time of the birth of the child, the child was granted Korean nationality when they were born. Migrant workers were permitted to change their place of work. If they faced sexual harassment, they were sent to shelters and went through a change of workplace within three days. The living conditions of the migrant workers were being improved. Poor living conditions were not permitted. Motherhood protection was also being provided to migrant workers. Foreigners were permitted to apply for naturalisation. In 2011, the State revised the immigration Act to ensure migrant workers were given the possibility of extending their stay. The previous requirement of a letter of guarantee by their spouse had been revoked.
Questions by Committee Experts
RANGITA DE SILVA DE ALWIS, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur for Republic of Korea, said gender parity representation had the potential to be a force multiplier in the Republic of Korea, including in the justice system. Could the difference in the education levels of migrant children compared to citizens be clarified?
Another Expert asked how many applications for naturalisation had been rejected in 2023.
A Committee Expert welcomed measures taken by the State party since the last review, including to promote women’s access to higher education and science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects, and to eliminate gender stereotypes. Positive results had been yielded in this field. What was the employment rate of female students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields? Did these female graduates have the same opportunities for employment as male graduates? What was the proportion of female teachers in higher education? The State party was commended for accepting the Committee’s recommendation to revise the curriculum and teach students about sexual health. What were the impacts of this action? What measures had been taken to address bullying at schools? Had mental health counselling been provided for victims?
Another Expert asked about the wage gap between men and women, which was at 31 per cent. What was being done to reduce this gap and guarantee a better working environment for women? Many women were working extended hours; what was being done to reduce the number of hours worked and incorporate more women into the formal economy?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said the Republic of Korea guaranteed mandatory education for children if they were Korean residents. Support was provided to enable them to participate in public education. A hotline was installed, with 12 different languages available, to provide support to migrant women, including on marriage and legal issues. Migrant women raising Korean children were provided with child-rearing allowances.
To support women entering the trade industry, a project had been launched to accelerate female businesses, for founders with high potential who wished to go global. It was recommended that 50 per cent of the local candidates for election be women but stronger rules required a legislation process. In 2022, the eighth national elections were held, and the number of women politicians elected had increased. Women’s political representation had been increasing in the State party. The State party was continuing to provide financial support to developing countries to assist with their capacity building. International cooperation on gender equality issues was being strengthened.
The Prosecution investigated domestic violence offenders in custody and took a stern approach. Work would be done throughout the State party to continue to promote a healthier family life. The Digital Sex Crime Task Force concluded its activities in June 2022. Many of its 11 recommendations had resulted in bills which were being discussed at the National Assembly. A consultative body had been established to tackle this issue. Foreigners who married Koreans could go through a speedy naturalisation process. As of April 2024, there were more than 1,400 people living on the E26 visa. Since September 2016, it had become mandatory to include the confirmation of a performance venue within visa documents. The mandatory implementation of consular interviews had been expanded to assess the possibility of human rights violations.
Work was being done to facilitate female students’ advancement in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields, which was leading to an increase in the number of female engineers getting jobs, up from around 800 in 2016 to more than 900 in 2023. Gender equality education aimed to promote mutual respect and respect for diversity.
Sexual violence support centers and domestic violence centers provided support to victims, as well as migrants and women with disabilities. Human rights centers were being established in each school to provide linkages to agencies for sexual assault victims.
The Government was expanding work-life balance systems to miminise women’s career interruption, including through reducing working hours during pregnancy and child rearing. Efforts were being made to encourage private and public entities to meet gender standards. Since 2020, businesses had been required to submit wage data disaggregated by gender to encourage autonomous correction of gender wage gaps. A statement had been adopted by the Work Life Balance Committee to improve flexibility and promote the health rights of workers. The Government was aiming to expand support systems for childbirth and childcare and create flexible working environments.
Questions by Committee Experts
RANGITA DE SILVA DE ALWIS, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur for Republic of Korea, noting the explosion of deep fake and revenge porn, especially in educational institutions, asked what programmes were being developed to address artificial intelligence-driven gender-based violence? How could educational institutions address the root causes of gender wars?
A Committee Expert appreciated that there had been important progress made in the State party, including the Fifth National Health Care plan (2021 – 2030), focused on a universal health care plan for women and men. How were the sexual and reproductive rights of women with disabilities being guaranteed? Did the Government have plans to ensure in vitro fertilisation technology was available for single women? Abortion was not covered by the national health care service, and people continued to perform clandestine abortions. What was being done to ensure abortion was safe and covered by the national health care service? What progress had been made towards the approval of the use of the abortion pill? A survey found transgender individuals were exposed to hate speech and discrimination. How was this discrimination being tackled, particularly in regard to invasive procedures?
Another Expert said women in the Republic of Korea did up to four times as much unpaid work as men, and faced societal pressure to give up their careers and focus on raising a family. How did the State party promote more sustainable development within the care economy? What were the public policies which elaborated an integrated care economy system to monetise the unpaid work of women? As of 2019, various measures had been implemented to facilitate working mothers to continue with their careers, in particular reemployment centres which helped women to enter promising sectors. What had been the impact of the reemployment centres policy?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said digital technology had led to an increase in digital crimes, particularly for youth. Content was being distributed to children to raise awareness on sexual exploitation via technology. Fines for violations had been increased. A national health insurance system was in place, meaning everyone had access to medical services regardless of age or income level. The health insurance provided for regular checkups to pregnant women. Currently, the Mother and Child Health Act did not prevent the use of reproductive services like in vitro fertilisation. However, there were negative social and cultural perceptions of single people becoming pregnant. The State would work on improving this social environment. Pharmacies had been supplied with documentation on the abortion pill and the State was awaiting on documentation to move forwards.
Confidential childbirth was an option for pregnant women in crisis who were unable to care for their child themselves. Confidential motherhood safeguarded the right to health of mothers and children. Court guidelines stipulated the procedure for assessing transgender persons’ applications for gender changes. The procedure was not mandatory, but the State party would consider revisions in this regard. In 2020, many schools were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Government support had been expanded to ease the burden of childcare. Flexible work and other systems were being encouraged. Incentives would be scaled up to encourage more companies to become involved and offer favorable working conditions.
Questions by Committee Experts
An Expert asked if the State party had an estimate of the value of unpaid work? Could this work be monetised? Had an impact assessment of the reemployment centres been conducted?
Another Expert asked for more details on measures to tackle discrimination against transgender people in the country, including through legislation?
An Expert asked what was being done to amend the Civil Code which established the situation of guardianship?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said the Government guaranteed the right to equality and understood the need to prevent discrimination based on sexual preference. If there was a violation in this regard, judicial support could be provided. Employers were banned from discriminating against employees based on their sexual preferences, including through firing.
There were four different types of guardianship systems, and support was provided to enable people to make decisions on their own. Adult guardianship could not be seen as a substituted decision-making system entirely, but it facilitated support for persons with disabilities.
Questions by Committee Experts
RANGITA DE SILVA DE ALWIS, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur for Republic of Korea, said a few weeks ago, South Korea’s Constitutional Court began historic hearings which called for State protection from the effects of climate change for dozens of young activists, including a baby nicknamed “Woodpecker”, who was 17 months old. This was the first case in Asia of a public hearing involving children and a baby. What was the plan for engaging women and girls in climate change mitigation strategies? How would the impact of climate change be mitigated for rural women? The Korean Constitution had a model provision regarding preventing domination of the market and the abuse of economic power. How would the Republic of Korea redistribute economic resources to democratise the economy? How would rural and migrant women benefit from this? What were the benefits for rural women who were business founders? How would assistive technologies be employed for women with disabilities? Had the State party adopted gender-sensitive policies in detention centers?
An Expert said it was positive that the Government had made legal reforms to advance the rights of women. However, persistent gender stereotyping meant the recommendations of the Committee had not been implemented. What was the timeline for adopting the main elements of family law reform? What measures were envisaged by the State party for ensuring the equality of women and their children? How many cases of domestic violence had been tackled and how many women had been protected?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said special health examinations were being conducted for female farmers. From 2022, female farmers aged 51 to 70 received special health checkups, including for pesticide poisoning and heat and stress diseases. A day commemorating fishing women had been celebrated since 2022. There were outreach, healthcare and capacity building programmes to improve the lives of fishing women. The Korean Government allowed foreign workers to change workplaces as many times as they wished for reasons which were not the fault of the foreign worker. The number of workplace support centers had been increased to 8,000 and wage conditions were subject to continuous monitoring.
A high court ruling had found that same sex couples must be beneficiaries of the health insurance system. The Supreme Court was currently deliberating on this. Bathrooms and shower rooms were tailored to inmates in correctional facilities. Gynecology and pregnancy tests were provided upon admission to prison. Personal counselling was provided to inmates to ascertain if they had undergone any violence. Female inmates could raise their children in correctional facilities upon request. Around 244 family centers nation-wide provided counselling to all families.
The law related to birth registration of a foreign child was currently being discussed at the National Assembly. Support was available around the clock for victims of domestic violence, including through call center services. Migrant women victims of domestic violence received counselling, medical and legal support. Treatment and recovery programmes were available for domestic violence victims.
Many marriage migrants from Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines came to Korea. Multi-language counselling was provided to assist with their integration. Approximately 231 family centers provided counselling, interpretation and Korean language education to these women.
Questions by Committee Experts
RANGITA DE SILVA DE ALWIS, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur for Republic of Korea, said questions on climate change and gender still required responses.
Another Expert asked about the reform in family law; what were the concrete plans for discussion? How would women’s non-governmental organizations be included in this discourse?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said the National Assembly needed to amend the law, and once this happened, there would be a clearer understanding of the timeline for the law reform.
Closing Statements
In closing remarks, KINAM KIM, Assistant Minister, Planning and Coordination Office, Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and Head of the Delegation, expressed gratitude to the Committee for the dialogue. The Republic of Korea had taken efforts to eliminate gender discrimination through increasing women’s political participation, establishing a system for work-life balance and providing support to victims of violence. The Government was committed to widely disseminating the recommendations of the Committee.
ANA PELÁEZ NARVÁEZ, Committee Chairperson, thanked the delegation for the constructive dialogue with the Committee, which helped the Experts to better understand the situation of women and girls in the Republic of Korea. The Committee commended the State party for its efforts and urged it to take all efforts to tackle the recommendations made by the Committee.
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CEDAW24.013E