[Power K Woman] Youngsook Lee, Chairwoman of the Korean Women Certified Public Accountants Association: "Women Must Stay 'Connected' Amid Life's Changes"

Serving as the 15th and 16th Chairwoman of the Korean Women Certified Public Accountants Association

"Steady growth at your own pace is more important than perfection"

"The environment for sharing experiences and sustaining growth is crucial"

Youngsook Lee, Chairwoman of the Korean Women Certified Public Accountants Association, is the epitome of "soft on the outside, strong on the inside." She personally experienced the evolution of the industry, from being the only female auditor at her first accounting firm to witnessing a time when women account for 38% of new CPAs. Thirty years ago, she raised her voice as an individual woman asking for more work opportunities. Today, she is committed to fostering the growth, connection, and expanding the societal roles of female accountants.

Youngsuk Lee, Chairwoman of the Korean Women Certified Public Accountants Association, is being interviewed by The Asia Business Daily in Banpo, Seoul. Photo by Jo Yongjun

Serving as both the 15th and 16th chairwoman, she has worked alongside her female colleagues to address the concerns women face at various stages of life and career. Her main focus has been on "connection." She believes that creating platforms for senior women to share their experiences and information with younger women, who often have many concerns, is essentially a way to share courage. A representative example is the "Restart and Practice Support Project," which helps female accountants who experienced career gaps due to childbirth or childcare.

Chairwoman Lee stated, "I hope the Korean Women Certified Public Accountants Association will become a strong pillar that helps female accountants stay connected, share experiences, and continue to grow within their own life paths, no matter what stage of their careers they are in." The following is a Q&A with Chairwoman Lee.

-What made you choose to become a CPA?

▲ It did not start out of a grand sense of mission. As a student from a rural area, I lived in a dormitory, which naturally became a place for students preparing for civil service exams. Among the various exams, I thought the CPA suited my personality, so I began to study for it. I did not pass before graduating from college, so I joined the financial sector. However, seeing my senior and peer colleagues who had passed the exam made me want to try again. Eventually, I quit my job, entered graduate school for business, and prepared for the CPA exam. I have walked this path ever since.

-Are there any memorable episodes from your 30-plus years as a CPA?

▲ When I passed the CPA exam in 1993, only 11 out of 287 total passers were women. At that time, the proportion of women in the accounting industry was very low, and I was the first female auditor in my firm’s audit department. "On the job" training is important for accountants, but even getting work assignments was challenging. For example, during business trips to the provinces, I was often assigned to nearby areas because, as the only woman, I needed separate accommodations. The work allocation chart was posted at the company, and I sometimes ended up being added to teams wherever there were unfilled spots. Realizing my CPA career might be derailed at this rate, I directly requested more work opportunities from the CEO. In the beginning, I lived with a sense of responsibility and tension, feeling I had to do well.

-How did you balance work with childbirth and childcare?

▲ I constantly thought about how to balance work and family. After having two children and focusing on childcare, I significantly reduced my professional work for several years, but never gave it up completely. While running my own office, I worked during the hours my children were at school, trying to maintain a balance of two-thirds parenting and one-third work. Thanks to this, my children did not feel my absence acutely, and I was able to stay in touch with my profession. After my younger child entered university, my desire to fully pursue my passion as a CPA grew, so I rejoined an accounting firm. I have walked this path believing it is more important to find a sustainable way according to one’s situation, rather than to "do everything perfectly." I often tell my female juniors that it is important to grow at their own pace, rather than feeling pressured to be perfect.

Youngsook Lee, Chairwoman of the Korean Women Certified Public Accountants Association, is being interviewed by The Asia Business Daily at her office in Banpo, Seoul. Photo by Jo Yong-jun

-What is the current proportion of women in the accounting profession?

▲ Out of approximately 28,000 registered certified public accountants, about 6,100 are women, accounting for roughly 22% of the total. The proportion of female passers has recently risen to as high as 38%, and women’s participation as CPAs continues to expand steadily.

-While there are more women accountants, the proportion of female executives remains low.

▲ According to the transparency reports of the Big Four accounting firms for 2025, there are 74 female partners out of 822 total partners, which is about 9%. However, this should not be viewed merely as a number. We need to consider both the career structure and the passage of time in the accounting industry. It usually takes 15 to 17 years to become a partner at a large accounting firm, and 15 years ago, the proportion of female accountants was about 15%. Given this, I believe the proportion of female partners will gradually increase going forward.

-What challenges do female accountants face?

▲ Accountants are fundamentally evaluated based on expertise and performance. Therefore, like many women professionals, they often face practical concerns about maintaining their careers amidst childbirth, childcare, and work-life balance. The timing of preparing for partner promotion often overlaps with the period of heavy childcare burdens, leading some to adjust their career direction or face dilemmas.

-What is needed to address these challenges?

▲ I do not believe this is an issue that can be solved by a single organization or system. The key is to create environments where women at all career stages can seize growth opportunities and connect to leadership roles. Connection structures such as mentoring, networking, and sharing role models are particularly important. I also believe it is necessary to systematically track the career status and leadership ratios of female professionals.

-What programs does the Korean Women Certified Public Accountants Association offer?

▲ We have a strong interest in "sustainable careers." My personal experiences of balancing work and family, especially during periods when childcare was a major focus, have influenced this. Currently, we operate practice support projects, restart-oriented seminars, and mentoring and networking programs for non-practicing members and those who have experienced career gaps. Female accountants active in various fields share their experiences, providing realistic information and encouragement to their junior colleagues. I believe what women accountants need is not a "perfectly seamless career," but a structure that allows them to reconnect and continue despite life changes. The association is constantly considering how to help women take on new challenges.

Youngsook Lee, Chairwoman of the Korea Federation of Women Certified Public Accountants, is being interviewed by The Asia Business Daily at her office in Banpo, Seoul. Photo by Jo Yongjun

-Are there any planned initiatives?

▲ In the second half of this year, we plan to pilot a public professional training program on adult guardianship asset management through the association. As society ages, the importance of adult guardianship is steadily growing. Adult guardianship consists of personal management and asset management, and I believe the expertise and accountability of accountants can be meaningfully applied in asset management. This is also an opportunity for accountants' expertise to expand beyond finance into the realm of social trust and public interest.

-What should be the direction for accountants in the era of artificial intelligence (AI)?

▲ I do not believe AI will simply reduce the role of accountants. Recently, AI has extended its reach to core areas of accounting and audit practice, such as contract analysis, detection of unusual transactions, audit documentation, and risk assessment. However, maintaining the trust of capital markets and being accountable for audit quality remain the responsibility of accountants. Human judgment, experience, and ethics are irreplaceable by AI. Even if AI can quickly analyze data and review documents, interpreting the results and making decisions remains a human role. In the future, the ability to read the underlying context and risks, rather than just the numbers, will become increasingly important for accountants. Ultimately, as technology advances, the value of "human-ness" will only become more important.

-Do you have a message for aspiring female accountants?

▲ I hope they do not limit their own potential. Accountancy is a profession where you can grow for a long time based on your expertise and expand into many different fields. I encourage them to be courageous and take on challenges. The Korean Women Certified Public Accountants Association will also continue to serve as a strong pillar, helping female accountants stay connected and share experiences at every stage of their careers so they can grow over the long term.

Chairwoman Youngsook Lee of the Korean Women Certified Public Accountants Association was born in 1965 and is currently serving as both the 15th and 16th chairwoman. After passing the CPA exam in 1993, she began her career in the audit division at Ankun Accounting Corporation (now Deloitte Anjin), and is currently a certified public accountant at Taesung Accounting Corporation. She has served as the Women’s Vice President and Chair of the Women’s Committee at the Korean Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and in 2024, she became the first woman to be appointed as a non-standing auditor at the Independence Hall of Korea.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.