National Guidelines in the Republic of Korea - Government

The 1st Basic Plan on Women's Policies

The 1st Basic Plan on Women's Policies is administered by the Ministry of Gender Equality. This five-year basic plan was drawn up in accordance with the Master Plan on Women's Policy (December 1995) to promote gender equality and the advancement of women and to provide comprehensive policy directions of the Korean government. The term of the first basic plan (the first basic welfare plan for working women) has been set from 1998 to 2002 in order to create Equal Employment Condition and prevent indirect discrimination in the work place. The central government ministries and local autonomous bodies are to implement their respective programs within the Plan's overall framework.

20 basic policy priorities:

1. to eliminate gender discriminatory prejudice and institutions in society
   • Item-a) Revise gender discriminatory laws and regulations
   • Item-b) Develop favorable environment to raise awareness of gender equality
   • Item-c) Eliminate sexual discrimination in the mass media
   • Item-d) Establish family with equal relationships
   • Item-e) Establish women's information networks
   • Item-f) Develop sex-disaggregated data
2. to expand women's participation in decision-making processes
   • Item-a) Expand women's participation the governmental committees
   • Item-b) Increase women's participation in the public sector
   • Item-c) Enhance women's participation in the educational institutions
   • Item-d) Promote an environment for the increase of women's participation in politics
3. to establish a foundation of equal opportunities for the employment
   • Item-a) Raise public awareness of equal employment of men and women
   • Item-b) Improve the discriminatory measures in employment
   • Item-c) Assure of fair rewards according to fair quality of works
4. to promote the employment of women
5. to establish a dual-support system between the workplace and home
6. to improve a working environment for female employees
7. to develop conditions for gender equal education
8. to advance female professionals
9. to support the life-time education of women
10. to improve women's health and resolve the unbalanced sex ratio among the population
11. to establish and solidify child care programs
12. to protect the rights of women in agriculture and fishery and to reduce burdens of them
13. to improve a welfare system for women in need
14. to improve women's welfare for an era of aging society
15. to eradicate violence against women
16. to facilitate women's cultural activities
17. to support women's volunteer activities
18. to support activities of women's non-governmental organizations
19. to strengthen women's international cooperation
20. to encourage women to contribute to reunification of Korea

National Plan of Action for the Advancement of Women

A gender dimension has been integrated into the Korean National Development Plan in the 7^th (1992-1996) Five-year Economic and Social Development Plan. In particular, employment and education were the focus for the advancement of women’s rights.

Korea’s Follow-up to Fourth World Conference on Women, 1995

In its follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women, the Korean Government identified ten policy areas for women:

1. Qualitative and quantitative expansion of child care facilities

2. Introduction of after-school child guidance system.

3. Universalisation of school lunch programme.

4. Establish the target for raising the ratio of female public employees.

5. Introduction of public sector female employment incentive system.

6. Establishment of a maternity cost social sharing system to provide for female employees on maternity leave.

7. Expansion/improvement of women’s resource development infrastructure, in particular strengthening job training in secondary education and retraining.

8. Establishment of information network on/for women.

9. Enactment of the Basic Law for the Advancement of Women

10. Promotion of gender equality through the mass media.

Plan for Consolidating Gender Discriminatory National and Local laws 2000

The plan was established May 16, 2000 with the purpose of reforming all gender discriminatory laws by 2001.

Charter of Gender Equality in the 21st Century

The Charter declares that men and women should participate equally in economic activities and be compensated fairly for their contribution. Women must be able to share the equal rights and opportunities with men in relation to employment and payment in the workplace. Additional support should be provided for marginalized women in society including the disabled.

Government Guidelines Mapping Out the Sexual Harassment Law

In December 1999, the government issued a set of guidelines to elaborate the implementation of the law on sexual harassment. All employees are to be educated about the new law, its guidelines, complaint procedures and disciplinary action against violators. Companies must also establish in-house complaint centres where victims can report cases of sex discrimination. Employers are prohibited from taking any unfavourable measures against employees that report such a complaint either in-house or to external complaint centres. The new guidelines elaborate that sexual harassment includes behaviour such as kissing or hugging, touching, telling dirty jokes, obscene telephone calls, demanding sexual favours, display of nude pictures and posters, exposure of body parts or sending smutty letters, including via fax or computer networks.

The Anti-sexual Discrimination Commission outlines that in order to have grounds for a case, the victim must provide "sufficient proof that the behaviour in question has had a negative affect on his or her working conditions''.

Policy on Compensation for Damages Caused by Gender Discrimination and Sexual Harassment

This national policy guideline is regulated by Gender Discrimination Prevention and Relief Act and Genders Equality Employment Act, which mainly deal with:

(a) Provision of relief to victims of gender discrimination in employment, education and the supply of goods/facilities/services, or legal/administrative practices

(b) Financial assistance for litigation in cases of gender discrimination - Mandatory education on preventing sexual harassment in private businesses and public facilities such as government offices, educational institutions, and medical facilities

(c) A maximum fine of $3,000 (Sexual Equality Employment Act); in case of violation of the procedures for handling the perpetrators of sexual harassment or contravention of the legal obligation to provide mandatory education in preventing sexual harassment

(d) A maximum fine of $5,000 (Sexual Equality Employment Act); in case of injurious actions against victims of sexual harassment

(e) Provision of effective counseling and assistance to persons who have faced gender discrimination or sexual harassment by the Gender Discrimination Complaint Center

(f) Establishment of 20 counseling centers for employment equality within non-governmental women's organizations, or local Labor Offices under the Ministry of Labor.

Government Guidelines on Part-Time Work

The Ministry of Labour has issued guidelines to ensure that part-time workers who work in firms with more than five employees and for more than 15 hours per week are given paid monthly and annual holidays. In particular, the guidelines require the introduction of the same conditions for part time workers that are already required for regular workers, such as maternity and menstruation leave.

Employment Insurance System (EIS)

EIS was established in 1995, initially covered only full-time employees at workplaces with 30 workers or more. It was extended to cover those at workplaces with five workers or more in March 1998, and further extended to cover all workers including part-time and temporary workers as of October 1999.

Development of Human Resource Policy (Presidential Commission on Education and Human Resource Policy)

As a part of National Human Resource Development (NHRD) of the PCEHRP, the Task Subcommittee 3 is charge of suggestions of women's development and empowerment by holding meetings with related institutions, experts and holding public hearings and policy discussions.