2 weeks Ago By Korea Bizwire
For the first time, women working at South Korea’s top 500 companies earned more than 70 percent of what their male counterparts make. (Image courtesy of Yonhap) SEOUL, April 23, (Korea Bizwire) — For the first time, women working at South Korea’s top 500 companies earned more than 70 percent of what their male counterparts make, according to a new report signaling slow but steady progress in narrowing the corporate gender pay gap. The report, released April 22, 2025, by corporate analysis firm Leaders Index, found that as of 2024, the average annual salary for female employees at the nation’s largest firms reached 74.
05 million won, or 70.1 percent of the 105.61 million won earned on average by men.
That figure marked a 1.5 percentage-point improvement over 2023, and a 3.2-point gain from 2022, when the ratio stood at 66.
9 percent. Despite the milestone, significant gaps persist—particularly when comparing pay to tenure. Women remained with their companies an average of 9.
2 years, or 77.3 percent of men’s 11.9 years.
Yet their pay trailed further behind, suggesting continued concentration in lower-ranking positions. Women accounted for just 26.4 percent of all employees at these top firms, and many of them were concentrated in junior roles, the report noted.
Gender disparities were especially pronounced in sectors such as trading, finance, insurance, transport, and banking. In the trading industry, women had a longer average tenure (11.3 years vs.
10.1 years for men), yet earned just 60.8 percent of men’s average salary.
In securities, women also stayed longer (10.8 years vs. 10.
3) but earned only 65 percent of what male colleagues made. In insurance, male and female tenures were nearly equal—13.1 and 13 years respectively—but women earned just 67.
5 percent of men’s salaries. Transport showed a similar pattern: women had 92.6 percent of the tenure but received only 66.
2 percent of the pay. In banking, where average tenures were closely matched (15.4 years for men and 14.
5 for women), men still earned 24.5 percent more on average. “While pay disparities are gradually improving, structural imbalances in organizational roles and reward systems remain,” Leaders Index stated.
“Men continue to dominate leadership positions and advancement opportunities, even as women make gains in base compensation.” The findings underscore tha t w hile South Korea’s corporate gender pay gap is closing incrementally, equal access to promotion and leadership remains an unresolved challenge heading into 2026. M.
H. Lee ( [email protected] ).
