LETTER FROM THE EDITOR - VOL. 10

KCCNYC Monthly - Mar. 2025
By Eun Byoul Oh

Happy International Women’s Day!

For the month of March, our team packed our contents to honor the women of Korea.

Living as a woman in Korea is certainly difficult for many reasons—which I get to talk about in classes from time to time. I think one of the most jarring statistics is the pay gap by gender.

According to the Korea Herald , “South Korean workers' average annual salary hit a high of $48,922 in 2022, nearing OECD average, but women earn only 68.8 percent of what men do.”  The data shows that South Korea has the worst gender pay gap among the 38 member countriesof OECD (Economic Cooperation and Development).

What is even more alarming is the growing number of feminicides and dating violence in Korea. In recent years, the numbers of victims and incidents of these cases increased significantly. One article reports:  “The National Police Agency reported 57,297 cases of dating violence in 2021, triple the number from the previous year. The number of arrests following allegations of dating violence rose 26.1 percent over five years from 8,367 in 2016 to 10,554 in 2021, and a further 21.6 percent in just one year to 12,841 in 2022.”

These stats show the bipolarization of perception of culture and social issues in Korea between genders. The sharp polarization of gender is also reflected in the political scenes—including election results . BBC has covered a series of articles on spy camera  crimes in Korea.

However, Korean women have historically been persevering in times of turbulence and violence. We have female independence leaders from the past, all the survivors of dating violence and domestic violence who have fought to improve women’s rights in Korea. We have K-Pop idols, actresses, and sports stars who shine Korea’s name to the world.

In this newsletter, we highlight these wonderful women and their works. We shall not forget the voices of women who are protesting right now to secure the nation’s democracy. Although the day of true equality for women in Korea may be yet to come, women will fight for the future generation of women.

One Last note, the court of Korea has decided to release Yoon Seok Yeol from Prison as of March 7. The prosecuting body has time for an appeal to be filed within a week. We will remain vigilant on the matter until the political upheaval ends in Korea.

With respect and Love,

Eun Byoul Oh