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Late last year, a TV series called "Cashmere Mafia" began airing in the U.S. It tells the story of four Manhattan career women who have found success in publishing, finance, hotel management and cosmetics. Classmates from the same business school, the foursome are called the "Cashmere Mafia." The term suggests that the women work like men in the way they help and support each other for successes and promotions. These "alpha girls," who have never tasted defeat, are constantly on the move, chasing ever bigger ambitions and happiness.
¢ºIn several ways the show resembles another American TV series, "Sex and the City," which gained popularity in Korea. Wearing stylish attire, the main characters of "Cashmere Mafia" are always busy looking for decent restaurants where they can talk about work and love. The level of women's success in TV dramas has risen remarkably over the past few years. "Cashmere Mafia" deals with female corporate executives. Women like these are entitled to VIP "gold" credit cards, so they're called "gold misses" -- a term, created from the broken English "old miss," that made it onto a list of fad words of 2006. A higher level of gold miss is "platinum miss."
¢ºIn Japan, they call economically viable women in their 20s and 30s "Hanakosan." Graduates from colleges in Tokyo or in its vicinity, they work for top-class companies and read "Hanako," a designer fashion magazine, while aspiring to be gold misses. If they were to quit their jobs right now, they would be able to support themselves overseas for several months. Recently the term Hanakosan has come to refer to able career women who give priority to their private lives over marriage.
¢ºA few days ago, the Korea Employment Information Service announced that the number of gold misses in Korea has increased 11.7 times in five years -- from 2,152 in 2001 to 27,233 in 2006. These unmarried women between 30 and 45 are typically college graduates and have professional jobs earning more than W40 million (US$1=W944) a year. Back in 2001, they were usually involved in only seven professions, including corporate management, medicine, and design. But that number has increased to 36 now, and includes private institute tutoring, writing, and jobs related to filmmaking, theater and broadcasting. In other words, the number of talented and financially successful young Korean women who are enjoying single life without reserve has jumped sharply.
¢ºGold misses are attracting public attention because they are creating new business and cultural modes. They are a fastidious consumer group that is leading the latest fashion, cultural and food trends. This is the emergence of a new generation of women who give priority to their own lifestyles and attainments. In a survey, 68 percent of those women in their 20s and 30s said they wanted to remain gold misses. This means that a growing number of women are looking for success and happiness in their own way, regardless of marriage.
This column was contributed by Chosun Ilbo in-house columnist Kang In-sun.
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