Details of the 10th APEC-WLN

Women Leaders from 21 Nations Gather in Daegu

On Jul.27, the Secretariat of the APEC 10th Women Leaders' Network Meeting(Korean Women Entrepreneurs Association) Visited Yeongju for the Final Rehearsal of the Culture Experience Program.

2005 APEC 10th Women Leaders' Network Meeting (APEC-WLN) will take place at Daegu's Inter-Burgo Hotel for four days August 24~27. APEC-WLN is a network of influential female leaders from 21 member economies working in government, business, academia and civil society organizations, who are meeting for the purpose of gathering opinions from women leaders and adopting statements that are then submitted to APEC Ministerial Meetings and General Assembly.

Celebrating the 10th anniversary since the initial meeting in 1996 that took place in Manila, the Philippines, this year's APEC-WLN Meeting is expected to have the presence of a record number of VIPs. From Korea, the Administrator of Small and Medium Business Kim Sung-jin, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Energy Lee Hee-beom, and Minister of Gender Equality and Family Jang Ha-jin are expected to attend and from abroad, Ha Thi Khiet, Head of Vietnam Women's Union (ministerial rank) and Taiwanese Minister Without Portfolio, Li-yeh Fu have also expressed their intention to participate. Approximately 400 participants including Chonchanok Viravan, the President of BPW International and Andrina Lever, Canada's representative for the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) will be attending the meeting.

The agenda of the Meeting is "Prosperity of Women's Enterprises through Innovation: New Visions for Women Entrepreneurs" and on Aug. 24th and 25th, discussions and suggestions through detailed case studies are expected to be made in 'Sub-theme1: Micro-credit Policies and Programs for Women Enterprises Development,' 'Sub-theme2: Co-prosperity through Nurturing the Next Generation of Women Entrepreneurs,' 'Sub-theme3: Access to Innovative ICT Technology; U-World for Women Entrepreneurs,' and 'Sub-theme4: Promoting Trade through Networking.'

The Women's Expo Korea 2005 will be held during the meeting. After the closing ceremony on the 27th, a seminar on the WLN & MESG(Micro Enterprise Serve Group) Collaborative Project will be held. At the seminar, research and analysis on the progress in micro-credit program from June to August 2005 in 21 APEC member economies will be shared. The study is the result of a recommendation made at the 2004 APEC SME Ministerial Meeting in Chile, to conduct a joint project to commemorate the UN' s "Year of Microcredit."

 

Interview-Jeong Myeong-keum, Conference Chairperson

Share Prosperity and Vision for the Future

Interviewed before the conference, Chairperson Jeong Myeong-keum commented, "The greatest significance of this meeting is that it provides a breakthrough for Korea's female entrepreneurs to expand beyond the domestic market to the international market and at the same time, establishes them as the female economic leaders of the global era."

Through the conference, Ms. Jeong hopes "that various policies to support women enterprises are implemented in member countries and as a result, provide aid to existing female-run businesses while nurturing the next generation of female entrepreneurs."

Ms. Jeong is especially encouraged by the full support of the Small and Medium Business Administration and the city of Daegu in the preparations for the conference. "The conference will have a variety of seminars that fall under its theme including a seminar to celebrate the 10th anniversary of WLN and a joint seminar on an APEC-funded collaborative project with MESG." She added, "The Women's Expo Korea 2005 will also to take place during the conference." "Through these seminars, we expect to have many productive discussions."

The Chairperson is especially proud to share the tradition of learning maintained by Korean scholars with foreign participants through visits to the Seonbi-chon (scholars village) in Yeongju as well as some of the essence the Korean performance culture through the Namsadang troupe's performance, experiences which are a rare, even for Koreans.

 

86 experts from all walks of life

People Working for 10th APEC£­WLN Organizing Committee

The Organizing Committee of APEC-WLN is composed of the Organizing Committee, an Advisory Board, and Nine Working Groups. The Committee members include 86 experts from relevant fields, who have participated in the preparation of the conference and the working group agenda. The Organizing Committee is chaired by Ms. Jung Myung-kum, President of the Korea Women Entrepreneurs Association (KWEA), the organizer of the APEC WLN meeting.

Also among the notables in the Organizing Committee are Rep. Kim Ae-sil (GNP), chairwoman of Gender Equality-Family Committee, Han Myeong-sook, standing member of the Central Committee of the Uri Party, Eun Bang-hee, chairperson of the Korea National Council of Women (KNCW), Seo Myeong-seon, president of the Korea Women's Development Institute, Lee Yeong-ran, Chairperson of the International Trade Committee of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Energy, Na Do-sun, chairperson of the Korea Science and Culture Foundation, Kim Yeong-soon, chairperson of Korea Federation of Business Professional Women, Lee Joan, chairperson of Women's News, and Whang Deok-nam, attorney at law firm Segyae.

The Advisory Board has five members including Shin Su-yeon, advisor to the Korean Women Entrepreneurs Association (KWEA), Lee Yeong-sook, honorary president of KWEA, Son Hee-jeong, advisor to KWEA, Shin In-ryung, President of Ewha Womans University, and Lee Kyung-sook, President of Sookmyung Women's University.

The Working Group membership includes The Steering Committee chaired by Kim Jeong-soon, Vice President of the Korean Women Entrepreneurs Association along with seven other members.

The Women Entrepreneurs Committee chaired by the senior vice President of the Korean Women Entrepreneurs Association has eight other members.

The Cultural Performance Committee is chaired by Choi Keum-ju, Vice President of the Korean Women Entrepreneurs Association and has eight other members. The Public Relations Committee is chaired by Nam Seong-hee, President of Daegu Hygiene College and has six other members. The International Cooperation Committee is chaired by Kim Hyun-sook, Vice President of the Korean Women Entrepreneurs Association and has seven other members.

The First Sub-Theme Committee is chaired by Byun Do-yoon, President of the Seoul Women Foundation and has five other members.

The Second Sub-Theme Committee is chaired by Lee In-sil, director of the Economic Analysis Division at the National Assembly's Budget Policy Bureau and has seven other members. The Third Sub-Theme Committee is chaired by Song Hye-ja, chairwoman of Korea Women's Venture Businesses and has six other members. The Fourth Sub-Theme Committee is chaired by Han Mi-young, chairwoman of the Korea Women Inventors' Association and has seven other members.

 

About the Women's News

We represent the hope and the will of all those who are working together to build a gender-equal society

¡°The creation of the Women's News is a critical social turning point. Women can now publicly and officially express their voice across Korean society.¡± So said Lee In-Ho, who later became the first female Korean ambassador in our nation's history. She was speaking at the newspaper's launch, on October 28, 1988. The Women's News was the first Korean periodical to represent women's interests. Over the past 17 years, the Women's News has become Korea's leading feminist journal and the strongest supporter of gender and social equality.

The Women's News was founded by 1000 visionaries who pooled their resources to create a voice for gender equality.

A good number of these visionaries have since become prominent leaders of Korean society. Han Myeong-Sook was the first Minister of Gender Equality and Chi Eun-Hee was the second. In the 17th national assembly, Kim Ae-Sil, Kim Hee-Sun and Lee Mi-Kyung were the chairpersons for the Committee on Women Affairs, the Committee on Government Affairs and the Committee on Culture & Tourism, respectively. Finally, Chang Pil-Hwa was the chief organizer for the 9th International Interdisciplinary Congress on Women.

The Women's News has campaigned unceasingly for the modification of unfair family law clauses, in particular for the abolishment of the Hoju system, whereby every family had a head and it was always the husband. The paper has highlighted the violation of human rights due to sexual violence and family violence. It has supported female senior citizens' in the case of a sunset divorce, when an elderly couple gets divorced. It has championed the childcare rights of unmarried mothers and it has fought for the human rights of disabled women who are victims of sexual violence.

Furthermore, the Women's News has made every effort to promote the protection of human rights across all facts of society. For example, it sponsors programs for victims of sexual and family violence that are organized and operated by the women themselves. Through such campaigns, the power of female solidarity has been shown.

In order to strengthen women's position in politics and public administration, the Women's News also encourages and sponsors female candidates for both provincial and national elections. In collaboration with other women's organizations, it launched a television debate between the 1997 presidential candidates to discuss policies for gender equality and women's rights. Such social issue debates have since become the norm for all presidential elections.

On the occasion of the United Nations' International Year of the Family in 1994, the Women's News and the Korean government jointly launched the Equal Couple Prize. This yearly prize promotes the concept of equality between Korean marriage partners, for newlyweds and the elderly alike. In 1998, the ¡°21st Century Women's Media Network¡± was launched. This association of mostly female journalists promotes a mass media culture based on gender equality. It awards prizes to journalists who contribute to the development of social and gender equality. To cultivate leaders for the future, the Women's New also selects its yearly ¡°Future Female Leaders¡± candidates, based on recommendations from leading female politicians, professors, managers and other prominent women in society.

The Women's News organizes many other events to promote gender and social equality in mass culture. The ¡°Female Marathon Game¡± has become the biggest women/family event in Korea, with over 10,000 participants every year. Also, the highly successful ¡°10,000 Female Leaders' Concert¡± was organized for the first time in November 2004.

As we move forward into the 21st century, the Women's News will continue in its efforts to promote gender equality across all facts of Korean politics and society. It will offer counterproposals and solutions to our low birth rate and our ageing society. It will work for a more caring attitude toward the labor force. It will strive toward improving women's economic position. It will promote female leadership and a win-win male/female partnership. It will push for international female solidarity and it will draw attention to the ever-diversifying differences between the top and bottom ranges of society.

To mark its 15th anniversary in 2003, the Women's News changed from its previous tabloid format to a broadsheet format. Containing more than 24 pages weekly, it is published in modern Korean and is available every morning at newsstands across Seoul. For more information, please visit our website at www.womennews.co.kr.

 

Korea's Traditional Culture Featured at the APEC-WLN

The 10th APEC-WLN to be held in Daegu from August 24 to 27 will have programs featuring Korea's traditional culture. Korea's female artists will have exhibitions at Hotel Inter-Burgo, the main venue of the meeting. Meanwhile, on August 26, participants of the meeting will visit Yeongju, where the artifacts of ancient Korean scholars are kept.

Participants will be able to have a first-hand encounter with Korea's traditional culture and Confucianism

¡°Seonbi-chon¡±

Home of Mediaeval Scholarship

The ¡°Seonbi-chon,¡± located in Yeongju, Gyeongbuk is a recreation of a medieval Korean village. ¡°Seonbi¡± is a term that means ¡°scholar¡± and refers to a person who had the necessary learning but was not selected as a government official. Seonbi-chon (scholars village) was opened in 2004 to preserve scholarship from the past as well as the lifestyle of seonbi. Not only does Seonbi-chon feature glimpses of how scholars once lived, but it also provides opportunities to experience such traditional games such as ¡°tuho,¡± ¡°jaegi,¡± and ¡°neol¡±.

The biggest house in Seonbi-chon is the traditional home of ¡°Dooam¡± Kim Woo-ik, who once was the administrator of Yeongweon and Haemi. Originally built in 1590, the house is furnished with old-fashioned luxurious furniture. In contrast, the house of Lee Hoo-nam, is a typical farmer's house complete with farming tools and shows the hard life of the common people of that era. Meanwhile, those interested in scholarship must visit Ganghakdang, a small lecture hall for scholars. Seonbi usually taught their pupils at nearby schools, or Seowon. The Ganghakdang, the lecture hall of a Seowon, is still furnished with the tools for calligraphy (brushes, Chinese ink, paper and ink stones). Visitors can try their hand at calligraphy, too.

Sosu Seowon

Prestigious Private School of Joseon

Sosu Seowon was the first ¡°Seowon,¡± a private school dedicated to teaching of young scholars and a place to memorialize the great scholars of the past. Sosu Seowon originated from the Baekwoondong Seowon, a private school established in 1543 by Joo Se-boong, the then administrator of Poongi.

Later, when Lee Whang, a great scholar of the Joseon Dynasty, was administrator of Poongi, he entreated the King to recognize the school as a legal entity. King Myeong-jong, obliged and awarded the royal insignia ¡°Sosu Seowon¡± to the school, thereby making it the first Seowon and officially recognized private school.

Not only was Sosu Seowon offered the royal insignia, but it also was awarded books, farmland, and even servants in addition to such privileges as exemption from taxes and the draft. ¡°Sosu¡± is a term that means the school should be a place where the decaying standards of scholarship should be reinvigorated. Sosu Seowon would later become the home of many leaders and scholars and a model for other private schools.

Sosu Museum

Treasure Trove of Local Culture

Opened in 2004, the Sosu Museum is an ideal place to experience Korea's cultural heritage. Built on a14,424 square meter site and totaling 2,197 square meters of building space, the museum has four exhibition rooms, each of which has over 20,000 pieces of art, documents, and cultural artifacts.

The museum also houses precious documents donated by Kim Jong-guk, the direct descendent of ¡°Geoheon¡± Kim Yeong, a government official during the reign of King Jeong-jo. He preserved documents for eight generations, or over 250 years. The exhibition rooms feature local culture and historic heritage starting from prehistoric time such as ¡°Goindol¡± and ¡°Seondol,¡± both large stones, and stonewall paintings that show the daily lives of prehistoric people.

The museum also has replicas of ¡°Seunheung-eup Naeri Mural Paintings¡± the only Goguryeo mural paintings in South Korea, which feature depictions of people, fish, and trees. The history of ¡°Sosu Seowon¡± is also documented in detail, including the founder Ju Se-boong's achievements and the schools notable graduates.

Buseoksa

An Extraordinary Buddhist Temple

One of the most beautiful historical artifacts in Korea, Buseoksa is arguably also one of the most popular tourist attractions. The Buddhist temple is home of the Whaeum order of Korea's Buddhism and dates back to 676 AD, when the famous monk Eusang Daesa built it under orders from Silla's King Moonmu.

The name ¡°Buseoksa¡± itself came from the big boulder to the left of the main hall Muryangsujeon. The boulder is separated from the stones below it and looks as if it were floating, thereby giving the name the temple its name ¡°Buseok,¡± which literally means ¡°floating stone.¡± Muryangsujeon, meanwhile, is the second oldest wooden artifact in Korea.

A unique characteristic of Muryangsujeong is that it has the Buddha not in front of the hall but at one side of it. It is also famous for its asymmetric pillars, which are the widest at one third of its length and have narrower upper ends. The aesthetics of these pillars is the same as the Entasys style of the western architecture, which is found in Greek temples.

The most compelling attraction of Buseoksa, though, is none other than the view commanded by Muryangsujeon. The entire Taebaek Mountain range looks as if it is within reach.

The founder, Eusang Daesa, is the monk who made the Whaeum sect popular in Korea. After building Naksansa in Yangyang, he toured the whole country looking for a permanent home for Whaeum, which culminated in the construction of Buseoksa in Yeongju. He had as many as 3000 disciples and made a long lasting impact on the Whaeum sect.

Traditional Wedding

Celebrated by Entire Town

Wedding ceremonies of the communal past were a cause for celebration by an entire town. In contrast to the modern wedding ceremony, a traditional wedding started with ¡°Poongmul¡± (popular music) and was all about celebration.

The ceremony started with the opening declared by the master of ceremonies and was followed by a performance of traditional music symbolizing the wish for a sumptuous wedding. The main event started when the bridegroom entered and red and blue candles were lit. The bridegroom bowed to the goose on top of the table as it was believed that the goose symbolized fertility and lifelong partnership. (It was also believed that geese do not look for other mates even after their spouses die, so in fact they mate for life.) At that point, the bride enters and the most important part of the ceremony begins.

The couple washed their hands and bowed to each other, after which they pledged to the gods of heaven and earth that they have become one and drink rice wine from the same cup. After the marriage is declared, the mothers-in-law each gave their respective geese to the bride and bridegroom, who in turn bowed in thanks to their parents. The newlywed couple then bowed to the guests, who all danced at the ensuing party.

Finally, cocks and hens were thrown at the couple amid the cries of ¡°many, many children for thousands and tens of thousands of years¡±. The couple then exited which marked the end of the ceremony.

Namsadang

The Common People's Entertainment

¡±Namsadang¡± or ¡°Namsadang Pae¡± are terms that refer to a group of migrant musician/actors that were active from the late Joseon Dynasty to the 1920's. They typically performed in front of common people at places like open markets or in rural areas. As the class hierarchy was quite strict during Joseon, one of the few forms of public entertainment was the Namsadang, which were heavily regulated by the ruling upper classes.

A Namsandang Pae was typically composed of from 40 to 50 men, who were led by a man called the ¡°Kokdushoe.¡± The group also had a promoter ¡°Huaju,¡± a director ¡°Tunshoe,¡± actors ¡°Gayeol,¡± newcomers ¡°Piri,¡± the elderly ¡°Jeoseung-pae¡± and porters.

A Namsadang performance usually started at 9:00 p.m. as lasted for 6 to 7 hours until 3 or 4 o'clock in the morning. The play featured ¡°Poongmul,¡± ¡°Burna,¡± ¡°Salpan,¡± ¡°Eorum deotboegi,¡± and ¡°Deolmi¡±. ¡°Poongmul¡± is exciting percussion music intended to signal the start of the evening's entertainment and to attract the audience. ¡°Burna¡± is similar to the Chinese dish juggling where plates are rotated on top of rods. ¡°Salpan¡± corresponds to modern acrobatics. The name ¡°Salpan¡± itself means ¡°life is at stake.¡± ¡°Eorum¡± is tightrope walking, the term literally meaning that it is as difficult as walking on thin ice. ¡°Deotboegi¡± is a masked dance drama in which various social classes are mocked.

Namsadang originated among the common people and the performances of this troupe were for the general public. The content of the performances allowed the audience to express indirectly their sufferings and also served to awaken them to the realities of life. Namsadang has been designated as an intangible cultural asset and its contents are now carefully preserved.

 

Korean Women Artists: Sharing Cultural Sensibilities for the 10th Woman Leader's Network Meeting--Experimentalism Straddles Past and Present

Forty artworks by 30 female artists from the Daegu-Gyeongbuk region featured at exhibition

During the APEC-WLN meeting (August 23-27), the Hotel Inter-Burgo in Daegu will have exhibitions of works by Korea's female artists. Sponsored by the Women's News, the exhibitions are intended to exhibit the capabilities and vision of Korea's modern fine arts and will feature 40 works by 30 female artists from the Daegu-Gyeongbuk region.

"Korean Image," by Park Nam-hee, digitally materializes the mural images of the ancient kingdom of Goguryo. "Picturesque Landscape" by Park Jeong-eun is a children's tale version of modern urban life. "A Midsummer Night's Dream", by Choi Cheon-soon, is painted in traditional Korean style with light colors. "Munja-Hyang," by Choi Jin-ju, is a modern interpretation of late Joseon Dynasty's popular paintings, depicting a collection of books and stationery items. Ms. Park Nam-Hee, one of the organizers of the exhibition, says that the paintings were selected in such a way as to convey Korea's cultural identity as well as reflect the spirit of the international events of the APEC WLN. She hopes that the exhibition will be an opportunity to showcase Korea's female artists.

 

High-value Added Traditional Industry of Korea

Korean spirit in food and clothing blossom in industry

During its 5,000 year-long history, Korea developed a very unique heritage of food, shelter, and clothing. Traditional clothing or "hanbok" is known for its beautiful colors, comfortable ampleness, and elegant silhouette while kimchi, a scientifically fermented food, is already being shared proudly with people all over the world. "Hangwa" (cookies) and "dduk" (rice cake) capture the genuine taste of nature. In these cultural traditions are found the life, spirit, and philosophy of the Korean people. The following is an introduction of businesswomen who have succeeded in merchandising the tradition and culture of Korea.

Traditional Hanbok/Rewriting the History of Hanbok

- Lee Young Hee, CEO of Maison de Lee Young Hee

Designer Lee Young Hee (CEO of Maison de Lee Young Hee Ltd.), who held a traditional hanbok fashion show in celebration of the 10th APEC Women Leaders' Network Meeting (APEC WLN) is known for rewriting the history of hanbok design. After founding Lee Young Hee Hanguk Euisang in 1977, she introduced Korean clothing in runways around the world. She was then invited by the White House to hold a fashion show to celebrate Independence Day in 1983. Since 1993, she has participated in Pret-a-Porte Paris 24 times and held touring fashion shows in New York and Washington D.C. in 2003. The key element of her works is the "harmony of colors." She believes that, "Clothing without harmonious color composition is of no value. And it is the silhouette that enhances the color." Accordingly, her works exhibit the aesthetic of unique color harmony and silhouette of traditional Korean costume.

In 2004, with a firm belief that the shortcut to globalize the traditional fashion is to make the world understand Korean culture, Lee Young Hee opened Lee Young Hee Korea Museum in Manhattan, New York.

Lee Young Hee Hanbok that Globalized the Korean Traditional Costume, Hanbok

Casual Hanbok/ Pioneering Casual Hanbok with an Experimental Spirit

- Kim Nam Hee, CEO of Dolsilnai

Recreating the Korean traditional hanbok into modern casual attire, Dolsilnai (CEO Kim Nam Hee), since its establishment in 1995 has strived to introduce hanbok with an experimental spirit. Disappointed by the fact that both the academic and the business world of fashion considers only western wardrobes, CEO Kim Nam Hee, while studying fashion in university, founded a fashion culture society with her classmates, where she studied and made casual hanbok. Dolsilnai currently operates 30 stores nationwide and is prospering in the market, with a 150% annual sales growth.

Unlike the bright vivid colors used in traditional costumes, pastel colors are mainly used in Dolsilnai's casual hanbok. CEO Kim emphases that the commoners, in the past, couldn't dye their clothes with vivid colors and although the colors look faded, the clothing possessed pure beauty.

Kimchi / Conquering the World with Mother's Recipes

- Kim Soon Ja, President & CEO of Hangsung Food Co.

The food that represents Korea, without question, is kimchi. The world is now paying attention to kimchi's nutritional value, too. As a rich source of lactobacillus as well as vitamins A, B1, and C, kimchi is considered a great health food. In 1986, the CEO of Hansung Food, Kim Soon-ja transformed the food prepared in the kitchens of every Korean household, kimchi, into a 50 billion won business. As a kimchi supplier for major international events including the 19988 Seoul Summer Olympic Games and the 2002 Busan Asian Games, Hansung Food Co. now has over 70 kimchi related patents.

With her plans to develop kimchi recipes to attract consumers in not only Korea but the whole world, CEO Kim is also creating and manufacturing kimchi varieties that are new to even the Koreans: cactus kimchi, sesame leaf-cabbage roll kimchi, and mini roll bosam kimchi.

Hangwa/The Taste of Nature-Traditional Health Cookie, Hangwa

- Shim Young Sook, CEO of Gyodong F&B

Hangwa is one of Korea's traditional foods most worthy of an international market. After mass-produced western cookies took over the domestic market, hangwa is nowadays more familiar to Koreans as a premium gift item.

Shim Young Sook, the CEO of Gyodong F&B praises traditional fermenting technology as "the greatest invention of our ancestors" and the once ordinary housewife achieved a remarkable 5 billion won in sales just in department stores last year. CEO Shim comments that hangwa is made from grains that are fermented for 10 to 20 days and its taste is clearly different from yeast-fermented western cookies. She also proudly comments that no artificial preservatives are used when making hangwa and that it is a scientific food since the grain syrup in the cookie prevents oxidation. She is recently leading the transformation of hangwa by developing products with new ingredients such as chocolate.

Dduk/The Traditional Festive Food, Upgraded to a New Version

- Kim Ok Soon, CEO of Hanguk Minsok Food

Since ancient times, dduk has been one of the essential dishes for ceremonies and rituals. Dduk was a special food for entertaining guests and it was also preferred as a meal alternative for travelers. However the market for Korean rice cake, dduk, declined as western bakery products such as cakes and breads were introduced. Dduk is making a comeback in the domestic market as a variety of dduk recipes that satisfy the tastes of modern consumers are being introduced. Hanguk Minsok Food has been making traditional dduk for 15 years and by only domestically grown rice. CEO Kim is now leading a company with annual revenues of two billion won. Her company currently manufactures over 50 types of dduk.

The CEO mentions that duteop dduk (royal rice cake) is one of her company's featured products but she's also attracting young consumers with her new cheese dduk cake. In principle, all products are sold on the day of production yet she comments that if there were a breakthrough in new packaging technology, she would like to explore export opportunities as soon as possible.

 

Korean Women Power

Who's Who in the Worlds of Politics and Economics

From the late 1990s during the Kim Dae-jung administration there has been a significant increase in women from professional groups and women's organizations entering government and politics. Then, for the first time, the 17th general election in 2004 lifted the percentage of female lawmakers to double digits, 13%, and provided a foundation for women to gain political power. Currently, 40 out of 299 lawmakers are women.

Women who were formerly cabinet members, Han Myeong-sook, the first Minister of Gender Equality and the Minister of Environment and Kim Myung-ja, the Minister of Environment were elected to the National Assembly, For the first time in the history of the National Assembly, there are three committees that are chaired by women- Gender Equality and Family Committee chaired by Kim Ae-sil, National Policy Committee, by Kim Hee-sun, and finally, the Culture and Tourism Committee, by Lee Mikyung. Also, lawmaker Park Geun-hye is the representative of the major opposition party, Grand National Party, while outside the Assembly, an era of woman party leaders has started with Kim Hye-kyung, a former anti-poverty activist, as the president of Democratic Labor Party. Although not a politician but with significant symbolic influence, the First Lady Kwon Yang-suk, expresses her concern for the underprivileged including the handicapped and also actively supports women by participating in women-related events.

Jang Ha-jin, Minister of Gender Equality and Family, Kim Sun-uk, Minister of Government Legislation, and Park Sun-sook, Vice Minister of Environment are current female members of the cabinet. Other high-ranking women officials include Park Ki-young, Advisor to the President for Information, Science, and Technology, Kim Kyeong-im, Ambassador to the Republic of Tunisia, Kim Chung-sook, the Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, Choi Young-ae and Jung Kang-ja senior commissioners of the National Human Rights Commission, Choi Young-hee, Chairperson of the Commission on Youth Protection, Suh Myung-sun, President of the Korean Women's Development Institute, and Hwang In-ja, Head of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Women and Family Policy Bureau.

In the legal circles, followed by the appointment of Jeon Hyo-sook as a Justice of Constitutional Court in 2003, in August of 2004, Daejeon High Court's senior judge, Kim Young-ran became the first woman appointed to the Supreme Court and senior judge of Seoul High Court, Lee Young-ae became the first woman chief justice of a regional court (Chuncheon).

Although women are still a minority compared to the male population in the economic world, their numbers are increasing as they are demonstrate outstanding abilities.

After taking over Aekyung, a company founded by her husband 13 years ago, Chang Young-sin has nurtured it into a major enterprise with 13 affiliates. Lee Myung-hee, the President of Shinsegae put her company on the top of the distribution industry, just five years after separating from Samsung in 1997. Also, Hyundai's Chairwoman Hyun Jung-eun is recognized for her leadership as she successfully managed Hyundai's businesses with North Korea after the death of her husband, Chung Mong-hun.

President of Virtualtek, Suh Ji-hyun, is a 1st generation venture-businesswoman who founded a company that developed "collaborative solutions for businesses". In 2001, Asiaweek magazine selected Suh as one of the 25 young leaders of the Asian economy. And last year, Park Ji-young, CEO of Com2uS- the first company in Korea to develop mobile games for cellular phones- was selected by Time magazine as a "global tech leader."

Women corporate executives include Kim Jin, Managing Director of LG Electronics Design Management Center's Mobile Communications Design Institute, Sul Keum-hee, Managing Director of Human Resources and Corporate Support Division of LG CNS, Jang Gye-won, Managing Director of CJ GLS, Yoon Song-yee, Vice President of SK Telecom, Song Young-hee, Managing Director of LG Household & Health Care, Park Hyun-jung, Managing Director of Samsung Fire & Marine Insurances, Lee Taek-geum Managing Director of Korean Air, Lee Hyun-jung, Deputy Managing Director of Samsung Electronics, and Choi Jung-soon, Chief of Woongjin's Human Resources Development Center.

Representatives of women's economic associations, through which businesswomen develop networks, are Jung Myung-kum of Korean Women Entrepreneurs Association, Kang Ki-won of Korean Business Woman Federation, Kim Sang-kyung of Women's Financial Network, Kim Soon-jin of 21c Women CEO Association, Song Hye-ja of Korea Venture Business Women's Association, Han Mi-young of Korea Women Inventors Association, and Hong Mi-hee of Korea IT Business Women's Association.

 

Women's Issues in the News in Korea During the First Half of 2005

Building on the previous year's efforts, Korean women made landmark achievements in the first half of the year.
Here are the headlines related to women issues from all spectrums of society.

One Year After the Sex Trade Prevention Act What Has Changed?

Over 90% of people surveyed regard the sex trade as a crime; government helps the victims of the sex trade

The sex trade prevention act¡¢which went into effect on September 23, 2004, has heightened both the public awareness of sex trade as a crime and Korea's international image as a country concerned with its citizen's human rights. By revising the Act on Prevention of Prostitution, Etc. to include changing the word "prostitution" into "sex trade" this revision has fundamentally shifted the status of women in the sex trade from criminals to victims. Further, central and local governments are now required to aid its victims. A survey commissioned by the Ministry of Gender Equality, found that 94.9% of the respondents viewed the sex trade as a crime thus providing justification for the revision.

MOGE Realigned into Ministry of Gender Equality & Family

Reorganized Ministry to serve as a think tank for new family policies

In response to strong public sentiment on the part of Korean women, the Ministry of Gender Equality (MOGE), which set sail in January, 2001 as a central administrative agency to plan and coordinate gender policies, was reorganized as the Ministry of Gender Equality & Family (MOGEF) on June 23. The reorganization is designed to introduce new policies for families such as the establishment of "The 'Dolbom' (Caretaker) Network" at the community level. In addition, the new ministry will be involved in the formulation of integrated family policies as well as the coordination, support, and evaluation of them. The ministry will implement the Bureau of Family Policies to be composed of three divisions: Division of Family Policies, Division of Family Support, and Division of Family Culture. To strengthen the network of domestic and foreign women's organizations the ministry will hire a director general for external cooperation.

"Hoju": The Old Family Registry System is History

Prohibition on marriage of couples with the same origin family names and the waiting period before the remarriage of divorced women also were abolished. Children may choose the mother's family name if parents agree.

The National Assembly passed a bill to abolish of the Hoju System, or the Family Registry System, at a plenary session on March 2. Accordingly, the traditional Hoju System, which has been under fire as a patriarchal, gender discriminatory system since its enactment in 1958, becomes a new status registration system on January 1, 2008. The current system, therefore, will remain in effect until the end of 2007. The bill also abolished the prohibition on the marriage of couples with the same origin surnames and the 6-month waiting period for divorced women who wish to remarry. A child will take the father's surname in principle, but he or she will be allowed to use the mother's surname when the parents agree, according to the bill.

Amid a Looming Crisis Over Low Fertility and Aging Population, the Women's Rights and Interests Act clears the National Assembly

The president to head a panel on low fertility rate and aging society; the revised Equal Employment Act demands government pay entire salary for 90-day maternity leave

Bills for women's affairs that were passed by extraordinary sessions of the National Assembly in April were highly significant in terms of women's rights and interests. The Basic Act on Fertility and Aging Society, among others, was written to cope with Korea's world's lowest fertility rate of 1.19, and the rapid aging of Korean society. The act calls for establishment of a committee for low fertility and aging society to be chaired by the President. The salary that a female worker gets during the 90 days of her maternity leave would now be entirely paid by the government.

The 7th Women's Film Festival Held in Seoul

86 films from 27 counties featured

The 7th Women's Film Festival was held at the Artreon Cinema in Shinchon from April 8th to 15th. Eighty-six films from 27 countries were shown with the support of the "Young Feminist Forum" and "Feminine Film Society". Ninety screenings attracted 33,000 fans or 90% of the theater's capacity. The Film Festival also featured a number of side events including an international forum entitled "Sex Trade in Asia and Video Activism".

Sisterhood Formed Between 84 Lawmakers and 55 Women's Organizations

"Women's groups need to support and oversee us to make the 17th-term Assembly a symbol of gender equality."

Committing themselves to realizing gender equality, 84 members of the National Assembly's forum for gender equality (Co-chaired by Reps. Kim-choon Jin, Lee Kei-kyung, Park Sei-hwan, Lee Eun-young) and heads of women's organizations established a sisterhood relationship at a ceremony held at the main building of the Assembly on June 1. More than 20 lawmakers on hand promised to support activities of women's organizations, while the 30-odd heads of women's organizations pledged to support, supervise, and evaluate their parliamentary activities.

Korea Attracts Focus on Women's Studies

The 9th Women's Worlds 2005 Held June 19-24

The 9th International Interdisciplinary Congress on Women, or Women's Worlds 2005 (WW05) was held in Seoul from June 19 to 24 Under the theme "Embracing the Earth: East-West/North-South". 2063 scholars from 70 countries participated in the Congress, at which 530 sessions were held and 2087 papers presented. The event was the largest ever held since its inception in Israel in 1981.

Nine Companies Win Equal Employment Awards

Female workers recruited by Samsung SDS, Pantech account for over 30% on average

Celebrating equal employment week, an awards ceremony for the 5th Equal Employment day was held at the COEX Grand Ballroom on April 1. Nine businesses and 20 individuals were awarded prizes for their dedication to equal employment opportunities, maternity protection, support for workplace and home, employment of female workforce, and development of occupational skills. A presidential commendation was bestowed on Samsung SDS (President & CEO Kim In), prime minister's commendations went to Designhouse (President Kim Young-hye), Pantech's Gimpo Factory (President & CEO Lee Sung-kyu), Keimyung University Dongsan Medical Center (President Seo Soo-ji) and Jeil Electrical Machinery Industry (President & CEO Kang Jong-tae). In 2004, the ratio of female employees newly recruited by these awardees amounted to more than 30% on average. The ratios at Pantech's Gimpo Factory and Andong Medical Center in Gyeongbuk stood at 65% and 64% respectively, while the ratio at Designhouse stood at 50%.

Women's Participation in Economic Activities Passes the 10 Million Landmark

An increase of 8.4% over 5 years; growth outpaces that of men

The number of women active in economic activities finally passed 10 million last year. The figure surpassed 10 million last May and even more in June¡¢Marking an increase of 8.4% from 5 years ago.

A Museum on War and Women's Rights Proposed

Proposed in 2003, the project attracts contributions from individuals

The proposal for the construction of a museum on war and women's rights, dedicated to the victims of Imperial Japan's sex slavery, is gathering steam. The proposal, which dates back to 1994 when the Council on Comfort Women originated the movement, has been gaining momentum. After the initiation of the project in December 2003, contributions have been flowing in since December 2004. Now totaling more than 2000 individuals¡£The proposed museum will feature an educational hall, a war and women's rights hall, an experience hall, a documentary hall and a special exhibition hall.

The 13th International Conference of Women Engineers and Scientists Scheduled for August 26

Bridges for exchanges between female scientists to be built

The 13th International Conference of the Women Engineers and Scientists will be held at Ewha Womans University August 26-29. The Conference, hosted by The Association of Korean Women Scientists and Engineers (KWSE) and sponsored by the International Network of Women Engineers and Scientists¡¢comes to Asia for the second time after being held in Japan. The Conference is expected to build bridges between women's science in the first world and the third world. The conference also welcomes college and high school students through cooperation with local career centers.

 

Power Businesswomen of the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Region

International Women's Expo 2005 - Skills displayed range from textiles to IT

Along with the 10th Women's Leaders' Network Meeting (WLN) of APEC 2005, the International Women Expo 2005 will be held at Inter-Burgo Hotel from Aug 24 through Aug 26.

Hosted by the Korean Women Entrepreneurs Association (President, Jung Myeong-geum), the expo will feature a "Korean Traditional Cultural Products Pavilion," "Fashion Jewelry Pavilion," "Well-Being Life Pavilion," "e-Lifestyle Pavilion," "Outdoor Event Pavilion," etc. Female entrepreneurs from the Daegu-Gyeongbuk region participating in this expo expect it to serve as a practical business opportunity.

Youngdo Velvet (CEO, Ryu Byeong-su) was established in 1960 to tap into the velvet market for the first time in Korea. Utilizing high quality craftsmanship, over the past 40 years the company has developed an international reputation for quality velvet. Its products are exported mainly to North and South America, Europe, and the Middle East. As the only company in Korea equipped with cutting-edge facilities for dyeing and processing velvet, Youngdo boasts the world's best velvet production capacity. Churning out 800 million yards of velvet annually, it produces men's and women's apparel as well as home accessories, curtains, and car seats.

Seok Jung-dal, a committee member of the Daegu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CEO of MyeonJin Textile) says, "We have great expectations for the Women's Expo because it's the first event of its kind held in Daegu. It's a good opportunity to exhibit competent female entrepreneurs to the world. On this occasion, I look forward to seeing not only the economic development of the Daegu-Gyeongbuk region, but also opportunities for advancement for many businesswomen.

As a company engaging in interior and landscape construction since 1989, Wonkyoung Landscape (CEO, Min Hee-suk) will present portable gardens as its flagship product for the expo. The portable garden is a new product easily transportable in apartments or other small spaces and one of the benefits of this garden is that it eliminates harmful materials such as formaldehyde. It is functional and also good for interior decorating.

Hankuk Crystal (CEO Young-jo Choi) produces clear and fine crystal glass products using carefully selected high purity silica. Modnnet (CEO, Shin Soon-hee) established in 1997 will display and promote hardware and software products for e-learning.

 

A Pioneering Female CEO; Philanthropist

A Pioneering Female CEO; Philanthropist

The Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) was a time in Korea's history when women's low social status meant they faced severe discrimination based on their sex. Even the expression of an opinion by a woman was, in practical terms, virtually impossible. Yet during this period there was one active woman who overcame these harsh social barriers. This was Kim Man-deok (1739-1812), known as the "Nanum Halmang" (lit: Sharing Grandma), among the people of her native Jeju Island.

A person with many titles--a wealthy merchant of Jeju, a pioneering female CEO, "Ui Nyeo Ban Su" (highest official rank for woman)--Kim Man-deok was born into an unremarkable, but noble family. At a young age, unfortunately, she was orphaned when her parents died of disease and was adopted by a prostitute, who registered Man-deok as a prostitute. She was forced to lead this kind of life against her wishes but at the age of twenty, Man-deok went to the authorities and had her name removed from the prostitute registry. Then she transformed herself into a merchant. The 18th century was a time when nationwide distribution channels were being set up and the lady merchant became rich by effectively trading Jeju's native specialties with commodities from the mainland.

In 1794, when a bad harvest caused a famine in Jeju, Man-deok spent all of her own earnings to buy grain to save the local people from starvation. It is estimated that the wealthy merchant saved from seven to eight thousand people (two-thirds of Jeju's population at that time). The governing official of Jeju reported Man-deok's good deeds to the royal court and, in return, the King asked if she had any wishes. The merchant said, "I would die without regret if I could visit Hanyang [Seoul] and look up at the palace of the King as well as travel to Mt. Kumgang and see its 12,000 peaks." Her wishes were granted and she was able to able to go to Hanyang despite a law that prohibited Jeju women from going to the mainland. Man-deok's pursuit of intangible things such as visiting the royal palace (a rare privilege even for men) or traveling to Mt. Kumgang not only shattered the stereotype of a merchant simply interested in pursuing their financial interests but at the same time, it also showed her enterprising spirit. King Jeong-jo gave her the title of "Ui Nyeo Ban Su" and granted her permission to visit Mt. Kumgang. People who were deeply moved by her deeds wrote stories and poems in honor of the philanthropic merchant.

 

Policies to Support Female-owned Business in Korea

Small and Medium Business Administration develops plans to promote women's participation in economic activities with the enactment of Women's Business Support Act in 1999

9th Women Entrepreneurs Day event took place on July 6th. The event was celebrated grandly by the presence of lawmakers, ministers, and over 500 women entrepreneurs.

With the enactment of the Women's Business Support Act in 1999, the Korean government started to support female-owned business and assist women in starting their own businesses. With the passage of last June's revised bill, which expands the definition of "businesswomen" from "female executives in female-owned or managed companies" to "female executives of all companies," women working at all types of companies can now participate in various business-related networking and take advantage of the government's support programs.

The Women's Business Support Act requires the administrator of the Small and Medium Business Administration (SMBA) to develop an annual basic plan to promote women's business activities with the establishment of a Committee on Expediting Women's Business Activities within the SMBA to review the plan. SMBA administrators are required to conduct field inquires every two years in order to assess the current situation and activities of companies led by women and publish the results. The act, moreover, stipulates that plans to purchase goods manufactured by companies led by women should be separately included in the purchase plans that heads of public organizations draw up. Also, national and local governments should give preferential treatment to companies run by women when providing financial support to companies. Female entrepreneurs, however, agree that the law will provide more substantial support when details regarding the procurement of goods and financial support are clarified.

Currently, the government provides support by extending credit guarantee services for the liabilities of enterprises that are technically advanced but lack tangible collateral through organizations such as Korea Credit Guarantee Fund, Credit Guarantee Foundation, and Korea Technology Credit Guarantee Fund. Among these organizations, Korea Technology Credit Guarantee Fund offers valuable support to small and medium venture enterprises since it provides credit guarantees to facilitate financing for enterprises that are currently developing or commercializing their technology.

Female owners of small businesses can receive support by acquiring training and small business confirmation notes from sixty Small Business Development Centers located throughout the nation. The Training Center for Women's Business Start-ups provides office space and basic facilities to female-owned businesses established within the past 2 years or start-up companies. There is also a start-up fund (50 million won per person) for low-income female heads of household. In addition, there are programs directed toward women such as start-up support to create economic independence for those skilled in science and technology and start-up support for unemployed women. Additionally, competitions for female business start-ups and the Women's Enterprises & Inventions Expo are held annually.

Lee Kei-kyung is the Grand National Party lawmaker who proposed the revised Women Business Support Act, which requires public organizations to include up to 5% of their total procurement to be manufactured by female-owned businesses and the revised Credit Guarantee Fund Act, a bill that stipulates preferential credit guarantees for female-owned businesses.