Women

In traditional Korean society, women's roles were confined to the home. From a young age, women were taught the virtues of subordination and endurance to prepare for their future roles as wife and mother. Women, in general, could not participate in society as men did, and their role was limited to household matters.

The situation began to change with the opening of the country to the outside world during the late 19th century. During this period, modern schools were introduced, mostly by Western Christian missionaries. Some of these schools were founded with the specific goal of educating women. These educated women began to engage in arts, teaching, religious work, and the enlightenment of other women. Women also took an active part in the independence movement against the Japanese occupation, displaying vigor, determination and courage.

With the establishment of the Republic of Korea in 1948, women achieved constitutional rights for equal opportunities to pursue education, work, and public life. Since the inauguration of President Roh Moo-hyun in 2003, the government has strived to fulfill its goal of a ¡°Gender-Equal Society¡± by making efforts to build up a society, where women and men are treated equally at home, the workplace and every corner of society. To this end, the government created jobs for women, improved child care systems and created an encouraging environment for women that would allow them to make the most of their capabilities and realize their potential.


In March 2005, the government took another big step toward a gender-equal society by abolishing the household head system, which had been a major example of discrimination against women. The abolishment of this system laid the foundation for a new family culture based on democratic values and gender equality.

As economic development proceeded and the living conditions of Koreans improved, the educational attainment level of women also increased.

In Korea, elementary and middle school attendance is compulsory and free. As of 2005, one hundred percent of the nation's children attended elementary school. The percentage of middle and high school attendance was nearly the same for girls and boys. A total of 82.7 percent of male high school graduates go on to college or university while 80.4% of female students do. The difference here is minimal, and in fact, the enrollment of women in college is notably higher than the world average.

Industrialization has steadily increased the number of women in the workforce; from 37.2 percent in 1965 to 50.1 in 2005. By job classification, the female labor force in 1975 saw only 2 percent working in professional or managerial occupations, while 3.7 percent worked in clerical positions. However, by 2005, 17.5 percent of female employees were serving in professional or managerial positions, and another 17.4 percent were working in clerical occupations.

The Korean Government is seeking creative ways to utilize the knowledge and technical capabilities of women in its efforts to reach a per capita GNI of US$ 20,000 in the near future.

Korean women today are actively engaged in a wide variety of fields making significant contributions to society.

Recently, women have been making major inroads in some areas, particularly in the government sector. For example, female members of parliament have increased considerably; there were 16 (5.9%) in the 16th National Assembly (2000-2004), and the number increased to 41 (13.7%) in the 17th National Assembly (2004-2008). In the latest bar examination, 32 percent of all successful candidates were women. Among those passing high-level civil service and foreign service tests, women accounted for 38.4 and 52.6 percent, respectively. Almost all of them were hired as judges, prosecutors, mid-level government managers or diplomats.

In 1998, the Presidential Commission on Women's Affairs was established to handle issues specifically involving women. The commission was elevated and expanded to become the Ministry of Gender Equality in January 2001.

In June 2005, the Government revamped the Ministry of Gender Equality into the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, empowering it to deal with family policies as well.



Brief History

Since the founding of the Republic of Korea in 1948, the role of women in Korean society has continuously been evolving and expanding. The first modern women's organizations in Korea were established shortly after the Korean War. However, it was not until 1959 that the Korean National Council of Women (KNCW) was inaugurated. This was the first nationally recognized women's organization. The council played a central role in the Korean women's movement throughout the 1960s and 1970s. The Third Republic (1961-1979) brought about remarkable economic improvement to Korea and set the nation on the path to industrial growth, and women played a vital role in this process.

The government, then, initiated a nationwide family planning project to reduce the size of the average family. In the process, it has also changed the lifestyle of Korean women. In addition, the 1963 law that required mandatory education for females made a significant impact on the lives of women.

In the 1970s a number of laws have been revised and abolished to ban discrimination against women. For example, the Basic Occupational Training Law entitled women to receive job training if they so desired. The previous practice of having young women quit their jobs upon marriage, especially at banks, has ceased. In 1977, some 70 women's organizations successfully made changes in the provisions of the Family Law in the Civil Code to end practices that were deemed unfair to women.

Women's groups also worked hard to improve the working conditions of women and to expand their educational and training opportunities. They have also campaigned actively against the "sex industry," which used to cater to foreign tourists, but now serves massive local demand.

In 1981, the Women's and Children's Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare changed its name to Women's Welfare Bureau. In 1983, the Women's Policy Deliberation Commission was established under the Prime Minister. This commission developed a set of basic plans to combat discriminatory practices against women. The commission's findings have influenced almost all sectors of Korean society. A comprehensive development plan for women was drawn up in 1997 and was integrated into the Sixth Five-Year Socio-Economic Development Plan.

In 1988, the Ministry of Political Affairs II was established to manage and coordinate women's affairs. The duty of the ministry was to assist various women's organizations, including the Korea Women's Development Center.

Throughout the 1980s, the scope of women's activities expanded substantially in terms of equal rights, gender equality and social activities as well as in childcare programs. In 1987, the Korean Women's Associations United (KWAU) was organized in addition to the Korean National Council of Women (KNCW).

In 1998 the Kim Dae-jung administration established under the President a Special Commission on Women's Affairs to oversee and coordinate women's affairs among government agencies. The Commission was headed by a minister-level commissioner and was composed of a secretary general and the vice ministers of Government Administration and Home Affairs, Justice, Labor, Health and Welfare Ministry and Education. In addition, seven specialists on women's affairs worked as non-permanent committee members.

The need for a ministry-level organization for women's affairs was recognized for a long time to develop policies that could address women's issues more effectively and which could draft legislative bills and execute action plans. A ministry-level body was seen as imperative by major women's groups.

In answer to these calls, the Ministry of Gender Equality was established on January 29, 2001. Currently, the ministry supervises women's policies by linking central government and regional administrative bodies. For better coordination with various government agencies, women's affairs officers are appointed at six related government ministries including the Labor Ministry. Regional and city governments also have joined the effort by designating their own women's affairs officers.

Expansion of Women's Roles

In 1991, South and North Korea became members of the United Nations. In 1994, South Korea joined the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women. This occasion served as a stepping-stone for Korea to work as an advocate for women's issues on the international stage.

The Basic Law on the Development of Women, which passed the National Assembly in 1995, is a landmark piece of legislation for Korean women. The law was enacted to promote equal rights for women.

The first phase of the women's basic policy plan (1998-2002) covers six major areas of concern and lays out 20 projects. Under the plan, the government carried out various measures to promote gender equality in all sectors of society. As a result, the foundations of an equal society was established, expanding women's social participation, revising gender discriminatory laws and practices, and promoting equality awareness among the public. The second-phase of the women's policy basic plan (2003-2007) is aimed at creating a truly gender-equal society by removing all forms of discrimination against women.

Since the Kim Dae-jung administration came into office in February 1998, there have been noticeable advances in laws and regulations addressing women's rights that laid the groundwork for gender equality. First of all, the Gender Discrimination Prevention and Relief Act of 1999 prohibits gender discrimination in employment, education and in the use of goods, facilities and services. The act also proscribes gender discrimination in the enforcement of laws. By seeking to bring about gender equality in every sector of society and providing legal protection for victims, the act contributed to raising public awareness of sexual discrimination. The act was also significant in that it has led other laws, such as the Criminal Punishment Administration Law, the Broadcasting Law and the Basic Education law, to proscribe gender discrimination. Gender discrimination victims can also seek redress from the National Human Rights Commission, which was created in 2001. The act allows women who have suffered human rights violations including gender discrimination to seek relief through the commission.

Following the passage of the Gender Discrimination Prevention and Relief Act, numerous laws were enacted or revised to bolster women's rights and to bring forth a gender-equal society. Amendments to the maternity-related laws, including the Labor Standard Law, allowed expectant mothers to enjoy a longer maternity leave with pay, from 60 to 90 days. The revision also calls for coverage of an additional 30 days by the employment insurance fund. The step provided a legal basis for the society to shoulder a portion of the maternity costs and help ease the financial burdens of employers. It also removed one of the reasons employers had avoided hiring women.

Another important piece of legislation that strengthened protections for women was the Women's Business Support Act (1999). The act was aimed at helping women to start new businesses and run their own firms. It is expected to contribute to national advancement by promoting gender equality in the economy and to boost economic growth by recruiting more female workers into emerging industries.

The government has also worked hard to promote the welfare of women farmers. Under the basic plan to support women farmers and fisherwomen, the government worked out various steps to increase welfare benefits for these women and to conduct regular surveys on the living and labor conditions of women farmers and fisherwomen. Such efforts led to the enactment of the Women Farmers Support Law in 2001. The legislation is aimed at strengthening protection measures for these women and raising the quality of their lives by providing them with professional training in farming skills and helping them to be more self-reliant.

The Women Scientists Support Act of 2002 provides a legal basis to improve employment and training opportunities for women scientists. The act calls for the government to develop measures to increase training and employment opportunities for women scientists and to help them take full advantage of their potential and training.

The Digital Divide Reduction Act (2001) also seeks to help enhance the chances of women's employment by stipulating provisions to provide opportunities and information to those who may have difficulty in obtaining necessary information due to economic, physical or other reasons.

The Law on Protecting Juveniles from Sexual Abuse of 2000 stipulates provisions on the punishment of persons involved in the sale and purchase of sexual services from minors, as well as various kinds of intermediary acts related to sex trafficking of minors and sex violence. Under the act, the government has taken the extraordinary step of making public the names and other personal data of adults convicted of sex offenses.


Women and Education

Education for the Korean women has come a long way since the days of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) when women were denied education. Today's Korean women enjoy equal access to high quality public and private education.

Expansion of Women's Education

Elementary education is mandatory in Korea. Korea has a literacy rate of 99 percent. In recent decades, the rate of growth in women pursuing advanced degrees has outpaced that of men. In the 1970s, the rate of matriculating middle school girls stood at 68.8 percent. However, that rate increased dramatically to 99.6 percent in 2001, surpassing the rate of 98.9 percent for boys. In the 1980s, high school girls admitted to colleges made up just 23 percent of total graduates. In 2001, that rate nearly tripled to 67.3 percent.

The wide gender gap in education narrowed substantially in 2000. In that year, women completed an average of 9.8 years of schooling, compared to 10.2 years for men. The increase rate of schooling for women during the 35-year period was 320 percent, compared to the 180 percent increase for men.


Economic Activities

Changing Environment for Working Women

There has been a remarkable increase in female participation in the workforce during the course of Korea's economic modernization. Female workers have made significant contributions to Korea's export drive by providing skills and manpower in light industries. During the 1980s, as the Korean economy expanded, more and more educated women began to find employment in white-collar jobs. Their attempts, however, to achieve professional advancement were often stymied by a glass ceiling. Coordinated efforts by women activists and women's groups to eliminate discriminatory practices brought about the Equal Employment Act of 1987.

The law paved the way for qualified women to compete for management position, which many have succeeded in doing. The law also stipulates that the state has the responsibility to protect pregnant women workers and female workers with children.

In an effort to strengthen protective measures for female employees at small companies, the government amended pertinent laws to extend coverage of the Equal Employment Act to all workplaces. Previously, coverage had been limited to companies with five employees or more. Under the revisions, the childcare leave benefit, which was allowed only to working mothers, became available to male workers, as well. Other protective provisions for working mothers included an extended childcare leave with partial salary payments and the guaranteed return to their jobs after the leave. The revisions also clarified the definition of gender discrimination by specifically describing the concept and conditions the term embodied. This eliminated much of the confusion that had arisen in the course of applying the act due to vague definitions concerning indirect gender discrimination.

The revisions also reinforced employers' responsibility for preventing gender discrimination at workplaces and allowed employers to commission in-house education programs on sexual harassment to outside organizations. For prompt resolution of sexual harassment cases and the prevention of future offences, the revision calls for employers to appoint an equal employment supervisor. It provided a legal basis for civic groups to set up and operate a counseling center to deal with gender discrimination cases. The act also granted more resources and tools to the Equal Employment Commission, which is affiliated with the Ministry of Gender Equality.

The government made serious efforts to raise public awareness of the laws on equal employment and to create an employment environment for women where they can fulfill their potential. For example, the government designated the first week of April as "gender equality week" and observes the week with a variety of events and public awareness campaigns.

The government has worked hard to provide working mothers with a better working environment. Since 1995, under the Equal Employment Act, the government has offered subsidies to encourage childcare leave. In November 2001, the government revised pertinent laws including the Equal Employment Act in order to further expand benefits under the system. The revisions stipulated the extension of childcare leave benefits to male workers, the provision of partial salary payments and the guarantee of return to one's position before taking the leave.

To promote and support women's participation in economic activities, the government enacted the Women Business Support Act in February 1999, which provided a legal basis for the government to assist women-owned businesses. The government then developed and carried out a basic plan for the promotion of women-owned businesses. The plans were primarily targeted at improving the competitiveness of women-owned businesses, expanding sales networks for the products of women-owned businesses and helping women to start their own businesses. For the purpose of encouraging more women to start businesses, the government opened women's business support centers to provide offices and various services, and offered classes to provide information on potential business areas for women. There were also a special program to assist women from low-income families to open businesses and a national competition for the exploration of new ideas for business opportunities. Women's business support centers were opened in Seoul and six major cities during 1999-2000. Five more centers opened in 2001, bringing the total number of centers to 12. All these centers provide a total of 148 retail spaces and among them, 142 offices are occupied by businesses run by women.

Current Status of Women Workers

The rate of women taking part in economic activities rose to 48.8 percent in 2001 from 39.9 percent in 1970. The female unemployment rate stood at 4.2 percent in 2001. In the same year, the rate of women who participated in economic activities was 61.1 percent for those with a college degree or higher, 50.4 percent for high school graduates and 43.3 percent for primary school graduates and lower. The corresponding rates for men were 88.6 percent, 77.6 percent and 61.1 percent, respectively. About 67.5 percent of all service industry workers were women, numbering 5.5 million. Of those, 34.9 percent work in retail, wholesale, food and hotel businesses. This contrasts to the 22.7 percent ratio of male workers in the same industries.

The ratio of female professionals and managers was 12.6 percent, while the ratio for male was 22.5 percent. Women employed in services and sales represented 23.6 percent of the total female workforce, while men employed in these services represented 16 percent. The ratio of self-employed women was 18.8 percent; self-employed men represented 35.5 percent of the male workforce. The ratio of women working at their family business without regular compensation was 23.3 percent while that figure was just 1.8 percent for men working in similar conditions. Only 34.4 percent of women had steady jobs, while 65.7 percent of men were regularly employed. Women's earnings, on average were only 63.4 percent of what men earned for the same job. This wide gap increased the more educated and experienced the worker. Despite these inequalities, women are making inroads into many occupations that had been once held exclusively by men. The expansion of women's employment opportunities into these areas is expected to contribute to correcting the inherent inequalities in the labor market.


Political Participation

The women's movement had a strong impact on the 1991 local government elections. This was because political leaders realized how important it was for women to make inroads into policy-making positions at various levels of government.

Considering the progress women have made in education and other sectors of society, women's participation in national politics has been less than satisfactory. As of June 2000, the number of women in the National Assembly was 17, or 6.2 percent of the total. Of those 17 female lawmakers, 12 were from their party's proportional representation slate, and only five were directly elected by popular votes.

Out of 3,485 local council members, only 77, or 2.2 percent, are women. Of the 682 provincial and metropolitan council members, only 63, or 9.2 percent, are women. There is no female head of metropolitan or provincial governments, and among a total of 234 heads of smaller local administrative bodies, the number of women is only two, representing a mere 0.85 percent.

Political parties have been lukewarm in recruiting and nurturing prospective female public officers and have not been making conspicuous efforts to assist and foster women candidates. The administration continues to work out ways to expand women's political representation.

Women's organizations are demanding a change in the election system to accommodate more female representation by nominating more candidates in the districts where voters are receptive to women and women's issues. They have also proposed that public political funds be set up for women and that a certain quota for female candidates be set aside on political parties' proportional slates.

In March 2002, the government revised the Political Party Act to set aside 50 percent on the political party's proportional slates for women candidates in local council elections. The revisions also recommended that political parties nominate women for 30 percent of their local election slates and allocate larger state subsidies to political parties that faithfully follow the rules. The revisions are expected to contribute to significantly increasing women's political representation. In the 17th National Assembly for which the general elections were held in April 2004, woman lawmakers took 39 seats among a total of 299 seats. This 39 seats accounted for 13 percent.

In 1989, the government proposed a 30 percent quota system for women in various public commissions to be fully carried out by the year 2005. The target year was advanced to 2000. As of June 2002, women filled 28.8 percent of major government commission positions, a significant increase from the 10 percent in 1998.

At present, 267,000 women work in public offices, accounting for 31.5 percent of total public officials. In spite of a steady rise in the number of women public officials, most of them remain at lower positions and the percentage of women in managerial posts above grade five (sub-section chief) is low. Women holding high-level positions between grade five and grade one numbers 1,115, representing 3.7 percent of the total number of public officials in this group. Female public officials at grade six and lower represent 25.0 percent of the total public officials on this level.

In an effort to better reflect women's voices in the policy-making process, the government introduced a system in 1996 whereby women candidates would get a certain percentage of public service jobs. Initially, the system was applied in the areas where the number of successful women applicants was relatively small, such as the high civil service and diplomatic service examinations. This system did not apply for certain physically demanding jobs such as prison officers and guards. Due to realistic constraints, examinations to recruit a batch of less than 10 officials were not subject to this system, either.

However, the government continued efforts to broaden opportunities for women in public service and improve women's social status in general. First, the government advanced the target year for achieving a 20 percent ratio for women in public offices to 1999 from the previous 2000 and further widened the scope of job categories subject to the system. In certain job categories, the ratio of positions set aside for women was raised to 30 percent. As a result, the ratios of successful women applicants in various recruitment examinations surged. Specifically, the ratio of successful candidates in the diplomatic service examination jumped to 45.7 percent in 2002 from 16.7 percent in 1998, and the ratio at the high civil service examination rose to 28.8 percent in 2002 from 23.1 percent in 1998. The system, setting a minimum quota for employing women, has given way to a new method whereby the employment of a particular gender would not exceed 70 percent.


Civic Activities

Working Through Organizations

As of 2002, there were 514 women's organizations registered with the government. Of the total, 18 are registered with the Ministry of Gender Equality. Their activities encompass political, economic, cultural and social areas.

Women's organizations established after the mid-1980s are different from those of previous years in several respects. First, most of them have begun to involve themselves in combating discriminatory practices against women in our society, not just in specific work-related areas. They have started to question certain inequalities in the very structure of Korean society, which foster or maintain discriminatory practices against women. Second, before the 1980s, leaders of women's organizations came invariably from elite sectors of society. From the 1980s, however, middle class women, working women, farmers, youths and homemakers began to lead many women's organizations. Third, women's organizations of the past were mostly managed and controlled by a central office based in Seoul. In recent years, many independently active women's organizations have been established in rural areas.

Organized women's activities during the 1980s and 1990s were mainly carried out through two organizations, the KNCW and KWAU. The alliance between the two was solidified in the 80s, but they became more fragmented in the 90s and 2000s. For instance, some women's organizations are actively involved in national unification issues, public education and the environment while others have begun to take on issues of domestic violence, sexual harassment and prostitution.

The World War II "comfort women," who were recruited from Korea and some other Asian countries to offer sexual services for the Japanese army, has also become a focus of the activities of many groups. In the 1990s and 2000s, 36 women's organizations have joined together to form a joint committee, which is working with the U.N. Human Rights Commission as well as governmental and nongovernmental agencies of Korea, Japan and other countries. In particular, the joint committee has initiated an alliance with Philippine, Japanese, Taiwanese and Thai women who were also victimized by the Japanese military government during World War II.

This group's ultimate goal is to get to the truth about the Japanese military's "comfort women" practices during World War II. In June 1993, the joint committee helped the Korean government legislate the Law Concerning Financial Support for Comfort Women.

The 1990s and 2000s also witnessed the establishment of the Korean Women's Hotline, the Counseling Center for Sex Victims and 70 other women's organizations dedicated to the prevention of domestic and sexual violence. In addition, a women's alliance was established in 1994 to prepare a draft bill on the prevention of domestic violence. The law passed the National Assembly in 1997. Women have also started to organize the "Green Peace Community," "Living in Green," and other environmental protection movements.

Another significant development in the women's movement since the 1990s has been its willingness to seek partnerships with men's organizations. In March 1995, the Korean Women's Hotline sponsored a Meeting of Lawyers for Peace of Women and helped organize a meeting of men concerned about equal rights. The formation of such bodies contrasts the old practice of simply asking men to support or cooperate with women's organizations. The establishment of organizations which include both women and men came about through the realization that women's issues directly affect men.


Women and Family

Transformation of Family

The role of women in the family has undergone considerable change since the liberation of Korea from Japan in 1945. For centuries, Koreans lived in extended families. It was not uncommon for one household to include several generations, including younger male siblings and their wives and children. However, this situation changed dramatically during the 1960s and 1970s when Korea experienced rapid economic growth and people began to populate the cities in large numbers.

As of 1995, two-thirds of all Korean households (12.96 million) were two-generation families. Three-generation extended families accounted for 9.8 percent; one-generation families were 13 percent; and single households were 12.7 percent. Households headed by women numbered 2.15 million (or 16.6 percent of the total), an increase of 650,000 since 1985.

In addition to these changes, more and more older people are living away from their grown children. One out of five women (or 19 percent) 65 years or older now live alone. Due to the formation of "nuclear" and one-person households, the size of the average family has been decreasing steadily.

Life Cycles of Koreans

The average life expectancy for Korean women was 66.7 years compared to 59.8 years for men in 1970. In 1999, these figures have increased to 79.2 years and 71.7 years, respectively. On average, women live 7.5 years longer than men.

Ninety percent of Korean women get married in their 20s, although the average age of first-time brides has been steadily rising over the years. Today's women are getting married significantly later than their grandmothers. In 1950, the average age of marriage was 20.4 years; in 1960, 21.6 years; in 1985, 24.8 years and in 2001, 26.8 years, respectively.

Until the 1960s, the ideal number of children was thought to be four; however, today's women believe that two children are enough. According to the latest statistics compiled in 2001, the average birth rate for Korean women is 1.3. The gender ratio is 110.2 baby boys to 100 baby girls. In the 1950s, the average child-bearing period for women was nine years. Today, that span has been shortened significantly, to two years on average.

In 1980, the divorce rate per 100 marriages was 5.8 percent; in 2001 the rate was 33.3 percent, a six-fold increase in the relatively short span of 21 years. The average age of divorce in 1985 was 35.6 years for men and 31.3 for women; in 2001, the average age for men was 40.2, and 35.7 for women. The shortened childbearing years for women and the increase in the rate of divorce have resulted in a significant increase in the number of women who seek employment or who participate in social activities outside the home.

The Role of Women in the Family

As a result of all these changes, the relationship between married couples has also undergone a significant transformation, with more values being placed on mutual cooperation and affinity between husband and wife than ever before.

Traditionally, it was the man of the house who made all the significant monetary decisions. However, recent surveys show that seven out of 10 Korean couples now make joint decisions when they buy a house, a piece of land and other big-ticket items. More and more wives are making the final decision on matters concerning children's education and childcare.

Today's women are very different from their mothers and grandmothers. Today's wife is an equal partner of her husband. She is a capable person, constantly trying to expand her role and realize her potential both in the home and the society in which she belongs.



Youth

Since 1985, the population of young people in Korea, aged nine to 24, has been on the decline. As of mid-2000, youths numbered 11,484,714 or 24.3 percent of the total population. There were 108 male youths for every 100 female youths. (Students accounted for 70.9 percent of the youth population.)

As of 2000, the number of youths between the ages of 15 and 24 that participated in economic activities totaled 2,109,000 (31.8 percent), while the economically non-active youth population numbered 4,527,000 (68.2 percent). Employed young persons numbered 1,895,000, representing 89.8 percent of youths available for employment. The share of youths among those employed declined from 11 percent in 1997 to 9 percent in 2000. The unemployed youth population numbered 215,000. The figure represented a reduction of 129,000 or 37.5 percent from 1998 when the unemployment reached a peak in the wake of the 1997 foreign exchange crisis. The unemployment rate of the 15-19 age group also declined to 13.6 percent, down 6.1 percentage points from 1999, while the same rate for the 20-24 age group registered 9.3 percent (down 3.5 percentage points).

Lives and Thoughts

The physical features of Korean youths have been improving steadily. This is primarily due to the improving living standards, which provided Koreans with a better welfare environment including dietary conditions and health and medical services, which in turn contributed to the generally improving physique of Korean youths.

As for youths' favorite leisure activities, electronic and online games topped the list with 23 percent. It was followed by PC communications or Internet surfing (17.6 percent), and television viewing and listening to radio (17.5 percent). The finding shows that many Korean youths spend their leisure time in computer-related indoor activities. Compared with other age groups, youths have made relatively less trips domestically and abroad because of their preoccupation with school. The ratio of youths' participation in cultural activities is higher than that of other age groups. The volume of books read by youths is the highest of all age groups in Korea. Youths also like to read comics books and tend to see a great deal of movies, much more than musical, theatrical and dance performances.

Youths are also avid computer users. According to a recent survey, 96 percent of the total youth population was familiar with PC usage. A recent survey also revealed that 83.5 percent of Korean youths owned computers and 42.5 percent logged onto the Internet every day. A majority of Korean youths (74.3 percent) thought that they would experience serious inconvenience without computers or the Internet.

South Korean students suffer from a great deal of stress due to the competitive exam-oriented educational system. When experiencing stress-related problems, 40.1 percent of youths said that they confide in their friends while only 27.3 percent confide in their parents. Only 0.8 percent sought counseling from their teachers. More than one-fifth of those youths questioned in a recent poll said they wanted to resolve their problems by themselves.

In Korea, there are a considerable number of counseling centers, which include those run by schools and civil and religious organizations. The Korea Youth Counseling Institute is operated by the government, and 111 Youth Counseling Centers are run by local organizations.

Recent figures indicate that while juvenile delinquency among 18-19 year olds has been on the rise, delinquency involving 14-17 year olds has been on the decline. The ratio of violent crimes is relatively small compared to property crimes. Since 1997, crimes committed by students have been decreasing.


Youth Activities

In 1991, the government ratified the International Convention on the Rights of the Child to promote youth participation in civil and political affairs. Youth organizations reflect the ideas and opinions obtained from youths in all youth-related programs. There has also been considerable efforts to create programs that encourage youth participation. The Youth Committee, Youth Cyber Congress and the Dialogue Between Youths were all established for this purpose.

Students cheer during the APEC Youth Science Festival.

There are various types of youth organizations in Korea with diverse aims. As of 1998, there were roughly 150 nationwide youth organizations, which included the National Council of Youth Organizations, a consultative organization aimed at ensuring mutual cooperation among youth organizations. The Council, created in 1965, performs the role of guiding a society-wide youth movement.

The activities of youth organizations were, in the past, somewhat restricted due to the limited participation of students who had to prepare for school exams. However, as youth training and voluntary service activities are now being emphasized in the education reform policies of the government, a considerable interest has been developing among students in these youth group activities.

In particular, as students' voluntary service activities are now reflected in each students' school records under the new policy, a growing number of students are taking part in voluntary services, a trend which is expected to benefit society as a whole.

Youth training facilities have been built in record numbers. As of 2002, youth training facilities numbered 640. The National Youth Center of Korea was established by the government to train youth leaders and to develop youth activity programs. In addition, the International Youth Center was established to facilitate international youth exchange activities and to energize the operation of youth organizations.

About 350,000 people are engaged in youth programs across the country. They include public officials, counselors and volunteer service leaders of private organizations. Youth program leaders have been trained by various youth organizations. Beginning in 1993, the government has been training legally certified youth program leaders. As of 2001, qualified youth program leaders numbered 7,114; 833 grade-1 leaders, 4,113 grade-2 leaders and 2,198 grade-3 leaders.


Youth Exchanges

To help youths expand their international perspective and promote mutual understanding among countries, the government has been carrying out youth exchanges with a total of 13 countries under bilateral agreements signed with them.

The government also encourages youth exchanges between private organizations and the local government. Government-level youth programs include organized tours and sending rural youths for training in advanced countries.

In particular, in connection with the joint Korea-Japan sponsorship of the 2002 World Cup, the government has bolstered youth-related cooperation with Japan. In addition, preparatory steps ar being taken to promote youth exchanges among various areas of the country as well as youth exchange programs between South and North Korea.

Administration and Organization of Youth Programs

With the enactment of the Youth Development Law in 1987, the Youth Bureau was established as an independent administrative body, enabling the government to work out and implement comprehensive and systematic youth policies. The bureau was expanded in 1991 as the Office of the Coordination of Youth Policies under the Ministry of Sports and Youth. The Youth Development Law was replaced in 1993 with the Youth Basic Law aimed at bolstering youth training activities.

In 1998, the Committee for Youth Development replaced the Youth Protection Measures Committee organized in 1964 as the highest policy deliberations and decision-making organization on youth policy in Korea. The Youth Committee, chaired by the Prime Minister, consists of the heads of youth-related government offices and experts from the private sector. The committee coordinates youth policies at the state-level as well as discusses and reviews major youth policies involving two or more government offices.

The government office responsible for executing youth policies and expediting youth programs is the Youth Bureau of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The ministry, in cooperation with relevant offices, prepares policy programs for youths aged nine to 24, fostering youth participation, promoting the rights of youth and conducting youth training activities and international youth exchange programs. In addition, the ministry oversees youth counseling, voluntary service, funding, and so on.

Meanwhile, the Law on the Protection of Youth was legislated in 1997 with a view to better protecting youths from hazardous environments through the control of sales of certain products as well as drugs harmful to youths. In addition, the Youth Protection Committee was organized to implement the youth protection laws.

The government's youth policies are buttressed systematically by experts of the Korea Institute for Youth Development. The institute is a government-funded research institute organized under the Youth Basic Law, which also serves as a pivotal private organization aimed at engineering overall youth programs by supporting, guiding, analyzing and evaluating private-level youth development programs.

The youth development fund was expanded to 159.1 billion won (approximately US$1.27 billion) as of the end of 2000, facilitating the provision of loans to construct youth facilities in the private sector. This funding system has been prepared for the stable promotion of youth programs by expanding funding for them.