South Korea’s gender wage gap is showing signs of narrowing, as revealed in the “2023 Women’s Economic Activities White Paper” published by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and the Ministry of Employment and Labor. The report indicates that in the last year, women’s hourly wages have reached 70% of men’s, up from 64.8% in 2012. Additionally, the gender employment rate gap has decreased from 22.5 percentage points in 2012 to 18.6 percentage points.

The report also highlights the persistent challenges in achieving full gender equality in the labor market. Despite the progress, the ratio of women’s monthly wages to men’s still shows a significant gap. The employment rate for women, especially in the age group 35 to 39, remains a concern, highlighting the need for further improvements in gender parity in the workplace.