Women in South Korea
Women's role in Korea, historically, have been confined to be home as a housewife supporting a husband.[1] Women were restricted from any social activities such as election, education, professional careers and political participation. Over the last 30years, status of women in Korea significantly improved as economy in Korea rapidly expanded.[2] However, despite the improvement during past years, gender inequality still need improvements compare to the other OECD countries. South Korea ranks the lowest of all OECD countries for gender wage gap from 2014 OECD report[3] and for gender discrimination from 2013 glass-ceiling index according to The Economist.[4]
Women in the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1897)
Women's life in the Joseon Dynasty was strictly regulated under Neo-Confucianism. Most of women were illiterate as educating women were prohibited and school taught men exclusively. Furthermore, social activity for women also was prohibited. Most women were completely segregated from the rest of society and It was necessary for them to cover their whole body with clothing if they had to leave their home under special circumstances.
Neo-Confucianism
Neo-Confuciansim[5] was introduced before the Joseon Dynasty in Korea. Neo-Confucianism originated from China then completely settled in Joseon Dynasty and remained as its major belief system. Neo-Confucianism was the indicator of the moral, social, political and family system in Joseon Dynasty. This ideology, however, became stricter when it settled in Joseon Dynasty. Neo-Confucianism in Joseon highlights the hierarchical order, respect for others, and distinct gender segregation. Women in this time were treated under the control of the Neo-Confucianism system that supported the evidence of women powerlessness and inequality of gender rights.
In the domestic sphere, the moral imperative of duty within Confucian family ethics noted that duty was related to the understanding of where one stood in relation to the whole. There are four distinct social classes located in Joseon hierarchy: scholar-officials (yangban); administrators (chungin); the commoners (sangmin or yangmin); and the chonmin, who were the "base people," occupying the lowest tier of society. [6]
Culture
There are specific requirements women should obey according to Confucian ideals. They had to show elegance, be righteous, subordinate, self-conscious, devoted and loyal to the males in the family based on the theory of traditional Confucian patriarchal family system. The Neo-Confucian ideal of a well-ordered society, which followed the order within the distinct social classes, was linked to maintaining an ordered family - it "became synonymous with the stability of the kingdom." [6]
According to Patriarchy [7] theory, a daughter always had to be loyal to the male in the family. Women had to obey her father as a daughter, her husband as a wife and sons as a mom in later. The women were always had to be on submissive positions. [8]The patriarchy as situated in neo-Confucian Joseon times ensured women's subservience through the Three Obediences (samjong chido): obedience to fathers, husbands, and sons. [6]
The most significant role of women in the Joseon Dynasty was the duty of giving birth to a son in a family. Due to the male-preference social ideology that permeated, the practice of men having several wives became the norm. Mostly, rich men (yangban) had concubinage[9]especially when their first wife could not give a birth of a son. Wives who only gave birth to girls were considered useless in a family. Although women were responsible for giving birth, they were not allowed to take rights of heritage. Due to theThree Obediences, and with the introduction of primogeniture (transfer of all rights of property to men, such as the firstborn), women's social position and legal rights deteriorated. [6] When women got married, they were no longer considered a member of their own family and instead, they were pushed to belong to their husband-in-law's family. Or in other words, by law, when a woman married, she belonged to her husband's genealogy. Thus, since inheritance was the exclusive right of the eldest son, yangban households were required to compile a chokpo (genealogy), which excluded women. [6] The neo-Confucian culture and customs strongly delineated and defined the boundaries of lineage and class - to the detriment of women.
Education
As society preferred males, men were treated with extra special care compared to women. [8]. Women were sometimes considered a burden in the family. Mostly men were educated, and in contrast, women were mostly illiterate.[10] They were not allowed to play outside or participate in any "male" activities. Women were only educated how to become a modest, prudent wife. [8] Education for women were relegated to learning how to be wise mothers and good wives (hyonmo yangcho). [10] Kim Inja outlined what hyonmo yancho entailed: "The educational ideal based on the Confucian spirit was a woman who observes 'Four Actions of a woman' and makes the ideal of the wise mother and good wife, a housewife who is a good wife and a good mother, equipped with chastity, obedience, frugality, mental discipline, deep compassion, peaceful interaction, and refined by grace." [11] Although women required to be educated to become good wives to their husbands, they were only trained to fulfill this role - their activities encompassed female activities such as needle-working.[8]
Women in South Korea (1948-present)
The changes are brought into this gender inequality of traditional Korean society. As the Neo-Confucianism ideal thought disappeared, the status of women was no longer depend on the duty of reproduction. The women’s voice has increased gradually to fight against the gender discrimination.
Workplace
South Korea wrote a story of drama after the Korean War in the 1950s. Its economy has drastically developed in half century that has become world’s 13th economic country in 2015. Although the feminism brought a huge wave in Korea after dramatic development, Women do not have rights or are treated unfairly. In 2014, 57% of women in Korea contributed to the workplace in Korea. However, the number could be said as only 57% compared to other countries: 73% in Sweden and 69% in Germany. Another unfortunate problem for Women in Korea would be unfair work wage. Women in Korea get unequal work wage that men are paid more than 39% compared to women in South Korea. Not ony the Work Wage Gap between men and women, but women also are excluded from the promotion and vacation. Nonetheless women have same ability or work skills, they have to wait longer than men or not promoted until they retire because of marriage. In order to use vacation, they had to be extremely cautious not to interrupt their employers when they apply own given vacation. [12]This evidence explain the prosperity of South Korea economy seems unstoppable, yet still only the Women in Korea workplace remained the same rate or even dropped out.[12]
Education
Women have now realized the importance of education. In other words, the women now have learning rights. As evidence, the first woman’s university was established in the Republic of Korea. It was originally started as a mission educational institution for girls. The first all-female university, Ewha Womans University, the Ewha refers to “Pear Blossoms” which is given by the last Emperor of Joseon. Ewha Womans University symbolizes the right that women have to study in South Korea; also indicating the reception of feminism and perhaps getting one step closer to true equality for both men and women.
First Female President
As the society has been changed, a new generation's women now perceived the cultural and political inequality issues. This new perception brought lots of changes into today's society in South Korea. Today's women are now characterized as confident, assertive, extravert, self-assured and outspoken. Furthermore, as a result of the perception, political empowerment strongly increased.[13]The expansion of higher education for women also influences the power in the society. Today women are now influenced at the house, workplace and even country. One of the most distinct development is the First woman President of Republic of Korea, Park Geun-Hye. Not only she is influential in South Korea but also she was nominated as the world’s 11th most powerful woman and the most powerful woman in East Asia by Forbes magazine's list of The World's 100 Most Powerful Women. [14]
See Also
- Glass Ceiling
- Women in Korea
- Feminism in the 21st Century
- Gender Discrimination in China
- Women in the Workplace in Korea
- Glass Ceiling Index
- Women in Joseon Dynasty
References
- ↑ Korea 4 Expats. K4E Consulting. 23 March 2015. Retrieved 22 April 2015."Traditional Role of Women"
- ↑ Resos, Archie (10 March 2014). "The Empowerment of Women in South Korea". Journal of International Affairs. Columbia University SIPA. Retrieved 24 April 2015.Resos, Archie
- ↑ OECD: Gender Wage Gap
- ↑ The Economist. 2013-03-07 GlassCeiling Index
- ↑ Neo-Confucianism. (n.d.). Retrieved November 20, 2015 Neo-Confuciansim
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Yoo, Theodore. The Politics of Gender in Colonial Korea: Education, Labor, and Health, 1910-1954. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2008, p.18.
- ↑ Patriarchy. (n.d.). Retrieved November 20, 2015, Patriarchy
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Seth, M. (2011). A history of Korea: From antiquity to the present (pp. 160-161). Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield.
- ↑ Concubinage. (n.d.). Retrieved November 20, 2015 Concubinage
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Choi, Hyaeweol. “Women’s Literacy and New Womanhood in Late Choson Korea.” Asian Journal of Women’s Studies 6:1 (2000).
- ↑ Ochiai, Emiko, and Kaoru Aoyama. Asian Women and Intimate Work. Brill, 2014, p.10.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 South Korea's Woeful Workplace Inequality. (n.d.). Retrieved November 21, 2015 TheDiplomat: South Korea - Workplace Inequality
- ↑ Nam, Jeong-Lim. "Gender politics in the Korean transition to democracy." Korean Studies (2000): 94-112.
- ↑ Forbes: The Worlds Most Powerful Women