Gender pay gap at public institutions dips below 20 percent for first time
Women at public institutions earned 19 percent less than men on average last year, but in the private sector the difference is still almost 30 percent.
A new plaque for the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family is installed at the government complex in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Sept. 30, 2025.YONHAP
The gender pay gap at Korea’s public institutions fell below 20 percent for the first time last year, according to a government report on Monday.
The pay gap between 2024 and 2025 also narrowed at private companies but wide disparities still persisted in industries such as wholesale and retail and construction, according to Ministry of Gender Equality and Family statistics. The analysis covered 3,146 publicly listed private companies that submitted annual reports through the Financial Supervisory Service’s electronic disclosure system and 355 public institutions listed on the government’s public institution management information system.
Women at public institutions earned an average of 60.6 million won ($45,000) last year, 19 percent less than the 74.8 million won earned by men. The gap narrowed by 1 percentage point from 20 percent the previous year. It also marked the first time the figure fell below 20 percent since the ministry began publishing gender pay statistics in 2020.
At private companies, women earned an average of 72.16 million won, compared to 102.03 million won for men. The resulting 29.3 percent gap continued to outpace public institutions but narrowed by 1.4 percentage points from the previous year.
The improvement came as women’s average pay rose 6.5 percent, faster than the 4.3 percent increase for men.
By industry, the gender pay gap was smaller in accommodation and food services, at 14.2 percent, and arts, sports and recreation-related services, at 15.6 percent. The widest gaps were found in wholesale and retail and construction, both at 42.3 percent.
Office workers walk across Gwanghwamun Square in Jongno District, central Seoul on May 20, 2025.YONHAP
A similar trend emerged in average length of service. Women at public institutions had worked an average of 8.7 years, compared to 10.6 years for men. The gap stood at 18.1 percent, down 1.8 percentage points from the previous year.
At private companies, women had worked an average of 9.5 years, compared to 11.9 years for men. That difference narrowed by 1.1 percentage points to 19.8 percent.
“We have seen positive changes in narrowing gender disparities, including improvements in women’s pay and length of service,” a Gender Ministry official said. “But the gender pay gap persists due to structural factors such as occupational segregation by gender, differences in length of service caused by career breaks and the glass ceiling.”
Employees work at an office in Seoul on Feb. 28, 2018.YONHAP
The government plans to introduce an employment equality disclosure system that would require companies to disclose gender breakdowns in employment and pay by occupation, rank and employment type. The system is intended to provide a clearer picture of gender disparities in the labor market.
“We will make every effort to introduce the employment equality disclosure system so we can more accurately identify where gender pay gaps arise,” Gender Minister Won Min-kyong said. “We want that information to lead to meaningful improvements in company employment practices.”
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
