Women Still Make up Only 3.6% of CEOs

Women account for only 3.6 percent of CEOs of listed companies in Korea. Although the ratio is growing each year, it remains embarrassingly low compared to the U.S. and other advanced countries.

The Federation of Korean Industries said Tuesday that the proportion of female CEOs at the 2,100 companies listed on the Korea Composite Stock Price Index and junior Kosdaq increased gradually from 2.8 percent in 2015 to 3.6 percent -- or 115 out of 3,187 CEOs -- in 2019.

In the U.S., women accounted for six percent of CEOs at S&P 500 companies as of January this year.

The proportion of female executives has also been growing steadily in Korea, rising from three percent in 2015 to 4.5 percent in 2019.

Kim Bong-man at the FKI said, "The proportion of female executives in Korean companies is still low compared to top global businesses. Active participation of women in the workplace contributes to economic growth."