A majority of women executives in big Korean companies do not think that they can rise to the top of the corporate ladder.

A survey of 33 women executives working at the top 100 companies and IT companies jointly by the Chosun Ilbo and a team of researchers led by Prof. Kim Hyo-sun of Chungang University found that 68 percent of them were satisfied with their current job but 76 percent did not believe they could become chief executive officer.

Those who were dissatisfied with their job cited the lack of time to spend with their children as the main reason. It took an average of 18.6 years for those working with the top 100 companies to reach the executive position, while the figure was 13.5 years for those working in IT companies. But if they had to build their career from the bottom, it took longer, with 22.8 years in the top 100 and 17 years in IT firms.

In terms of age, women executives with the top 100 companies were 46.1 years old, while those in IT firms were 42.2 years old.

The respondents advised younger working women wanting to reach the top of the corporate ladder to build a human network (33 percent), to develop a specialty (25 percent) and establish their own way of working (16 percent). But most or 71 percent recognized the need for special leadership training for women.