a. In the 2018 local elections, only 35 out of 749 candidates (4.67 percent) for the heads
of local governments were women, and only 9 out of 226 elected candidates (3.98
percent) were women. In the same elections, there were only six female candidates
(8.45 percent) for the heads of upper-tier local governments in metropolitan cities and
provinces, none of whom were elected. The proportions of women parliamentarians,
female upper-tier councilors, and female lower-tier councilors have gradually risen to
19 percent, 19.4 percent, and 30.7 percent respectively, demonstrating the
underrepresentation of women, especially among the heads of administrative bodies.
20. In order to reform such gender imbalances in the political field, the NHRCK advised in
March 2022 the Speaker of the National Assembly to amend the Political Parties Act and
the Public Official Election Act to introduce a compulsory electoral gender quota system
for proportional seats as well as district seats when nominating candidates for state
legislators and local councilors.
21. In the private sector, in 2021, the proportion of female officers in listed companies was
merely 5.2 percent, and the proportion of companies with any female officers was only
36.3 percent, while the proportion of women in the economically active population was
43.0 percent. The proportion of women in managerial positions in private companies also
remains at the significantly low level of 22.15 percent.
Questions
22. With respect to the amendments of the Political Funds Act, the Political Parties Act, and
the Public Official Election Act recommended by NHRCK in order to ensure women’s
political representation at a gender-equal level, please provide information on any progress
and future plans.
23. What are the governmental measures to induce large-scale corporations to raise the
proportion of women in executive and managerial positions?
Issue 6: Right to Family in Diverse Forms
Current Status
24. According to Statistics Korea, in September 2022, the number of non-family households
consisting of unrelated persons reached 472,660 households, 11.6 percent up from the
previous year and the number of such household members exceeded 1 million people.
Household Projections for Cities and Provinces: 2020-2050, released by Statistics Korea
in October 2022, indicates that in 2050 married-couple households (consisting of two
married adults) are projected to account for 23.3 percent, while two-generation households
(composed of a married couple and unmarried children) are projected to substantially drop
6