Korean Job Discussion Forums

[lille]

Anyone surprised?


" Only about 35,000 parents in this country of 49 million people took advantage of child-care leave subsidies last year.

Additionally, added societal pressures increase the burdens on working women, who are supposed to still attend every whim of their husband, children, and extended families. If women do not make time for all the demands, they are labeled irresponsible or "bad women." The culture in South Korea has contributed to more and more young women postponing having a family until they are in their late 20s and 30s - but this has provided a new problem for the South Korean government.

Collapsing birthrates are alarming East Asian governments, which in coming years will face a demographic crunch as the proportion of pensioners rises and the number of working-age adults declines. South Korea, which has projected a population decline beginning in 2018, is scrambling to encourage childbirth with incentives including low-interest home loans for families with three or more children.

But for South Korean women, choosing to have children usually means falling off the career track. There is a 30 percent employment gap here between men and women, the fourth-largest gap in the world, after Turkey, Mexico and Greece. Even if women choose to stay on the job, they have no guarantees of career advancement."


VIA

http://jezebel.com/5482891/south-korean-women-peer-pressured-into-passing-on-maternity-leave

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/28/AR2010022803287.html?wprss%3Drss_world⊂=AR

[kbit]

LOL

[Easter Clark]

[jiberish]

That is because korean women want men that earn more than them. My wifes ex boss pulled in over 150k a year and she refused to date anyone who made less than 200k...

When so many women want to get married and have children so they can become a housewife, does it matter?

About 70-80% of the women I meet want to meet a rich man so they can become a housewife. Big aspirations for people who study so hard...

[lille]

[TheUrbanMyth]

[Captain Corea]

I'd be very fine with my wife making mroe than me.

[Steelrails]

I think society forces people of both genders to choose between family and career. I also think that this problem relates more to our corporate structure and consumer culture. It happens the world over and here in Korea it seems to be even more extreme for both genders.

Women have plenty of difficult decisions. Men too, many a guy wants to go home to their family but they are stuck in the office till ten, lest they get passed up for promotion and then their wife is giving them an earful. Society's gender obligation for them is that they work to the bone and then afterward spend time listening to their boss drunkenly sing.

Now I'll say something that is going to be unpopular but which might be true- IN GENERAL, I think it is very difficult for us to have our cake and eat it too when it comes to families and pursuing careers, and unfortunately, but in reality, it is extra-difficult for women. I think that another big part of the problem is that not living with our relatives in larger households (not as much of a problem in Korea) makes childcare even more difficult. The support network is much smaller now. I know its nice not live in a house where mommy or daddy tells you why you're wrong sometimes, but at the same time it does have its benefits.

The bottom line is its okay to make the choice to live a 21st century lifestyle or to pursue your career, but understand the trade-offs that come with it and accept them. Life is not always win-win.

[Easter Clark]

[kabrams]

[Fox]

[Privateer]