[Interview] Lee Sujin: "Employment equality can no longer be delayed; we must bring about real change beyond introducing bills"

Employment equality disclosure system is the top priority

Rather than create another disclosure system

Proposes linking it to existing Affirmative Action measures

Integrating the systems would make gender disparities more transparent

Women concentrated in low-wage jobs; career interruptions

Workplace equality can drive change across society

Dating and domestic violence: laws alone are not enough

Victim protection and responses to perpetrators must work on the ground

"This time, I want to make sure we pass the employment equality disclosure system."

Rep. Lee Sujin of the Democratic Party of Korea named the employment equality disclosure system as the top priority for gender equality legislation in the second half of the 22nd National Assembly. Lee, who serves as the ruling party's secretary on the National Assembly's Gender Equality and Family Committee, stressed the importance of institutionalizing the system in an interview with The Asia Business Daily on October 15, saying, "Employment equality has not been properly established in our society."

Lee Sujin, a lawmaker with the Democratic Party of Korea, is being interviewed by The Asia Business Daily. Reporter Yoon Dongju.

Rather than creating another new disclosure system, Lee proposed linking it to the existing Affirmative Action (AA) program. Companies already submit relevant information, including gender pay and management figures, she said, so integrating the systems could reduce duplicative burdens while making gender disparities in the labor market more transparent. In response to some companies' concerns about the regulatory burden, she said, "We need to examine precisely what is actually difficult," adding that the discussion should not be delayed any further.

Drawing on her experience as a nurse at Severance Hospital and as a labor union activist, Lee said that women's concentration in low-wage occupations, non-regular employment, promotion disparities, and career interruptions related to childbirth and childcare overlap, ultimately resulting in the gender pay gap. Lee recently introduced a package of amendments to the Framework Act on Gender Equality, the Gender Impact Assessment Act, and the Act on the Prevention of Violence Against Women, collectively known as the "Three Gender Equality Governance Acts."

Below is a Q&A with Rep. Lee.

-You have pursued similar legislation in the past. Why do you believe it must be passed this time?

▲I introduced bills related to gender equality and pay disclosure when I was a freshman lawmaker, but they did not pass, which was very disappointing. But we have already operated the Affirmative Action program for a long time. Companies have experience submitting information on the pay gap between men and women and on their management. This is not about asking them to start from scratch on something entirely new.

-Some companies are concerned that this could become another regulation.

▲There is no need to operate the Affirmative Action program and the disclosure system separately and make companies submit similar information twice. They can be combined into a single system and run efficiently. If companies claim that an existing system is unconditionally difficult, we need to determine exactly what the actual burden is. We should not keep postponing the discussion.

-Some people view disclosing companies' gender employment figures as giving preferential treatment to women.

▲This is not about treating women favorably. Companies talk about ESG management, don't they? How much women serve as leaders within a company, and the wages and employment conditions under which its employees work, are connected to a company's social responsibility. I believe these are international standards that companies must uphold if they are to succeed.

-Compared with legislation on violence and victim protection, there seems to be relatively little legislation addressing structural issues such as pay and employment in the areas of women's rights and gender equality.

▲I think that's partly because employment equality has mainly been addressed within the realm of labor policy. Since I have worked in labor, I said when I joined the Gender Equality and Family Committee as a freshman lawmaker, "We should start with a gender equality pay disclosure system." Jobs in social services and care, where women make up a large share of the workforce, often have low pay and poor working conditions. Women also make up a large share of non-regular workers, and differences in roles and pay exist even among non-regular workers. It is difficult to solve the problem by talking only about the pay gap while leaving these structures unchanged.

-So the issue of career interruptions also needs to be considered?

▲That's right. Even if women get good jobs, care responsibilities arise when they marry and have children. Having parental leave alone does not solve the problem. What matters is who will fill the gap when a child suddenly falls ill or care is unavailable during commuting hours. Workers must be able to adjust their working hours as needed, and forms of flexible care, such as childcare services, must also function properly. Ultimately, we can achieve employment equality only by addressing employment issues.

Rep. Lee Sujin of the Democratic Party of Korea is being interviewed by The Asia Business Daily. Photo by Yoon Dongju.

-What are the recently introduced "Three Gender Equality Governance Acts" intended to change?

▲First, I think we need to reconsider the name and role of the Gender Equality Committee. The Gender Equality Committee should have the authority to make substantive recommendations to the central and local governments on policy improvements. The amendments would incorporate these provisions into the Framework Act on Gender Equality, the Gender Impact Assessment Act, and the Act on the Prevention of Violence Against Women.

-How do you assess gender equality policies and the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family's operations since the Lee Jae-myung administration took office?

▲Many issues in the field of gender equality are socially sensitive and can quickly become contentious. Even a good policy may not be implemented at all if misunderstandings arise during its rollout or conflicts are poorly managed. Minister of Gender Equality and Family Won Min-kyung seems to value communicating with many people and taking time for deliberation. As a result, some procedures may take a little longer, but she has experience and expertise in relevant areas, including support for victims of sexual violence, so I hope she delivers meaningful results.

-Besides employment equality, what legislative issues do you want the National Assembly to address in the second half of its term?

▲I also consider it important to amend the Act on Support for Victims of Japanese Military Sexual Slavery to establish the Women's Human Rights and Peace Foundation. We need a foundation to properly preserve records and educate future generations even after the survivors are no longer with us. We must continue to remember war, violence against women, human rights, and peace.

-There have recently been a series of cases of violence in dating and intimate relationships. Do you think the National Assembly's response has been adequate?

▲The existence of a law alone is not enough. We must be able to protect actual victims. Violence in intimate relationships and domestic violence are matters of personal safety and life. We need to revise laws and measures so that victim protection and responses to perpetrators work effectively on the ground.

-What results do you hope to achieve through gender equality legislation in the second half of the 22nd National Assembly?

▲It is important not to stop at introducing bills, but to bring about real change. Now that the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family can also address employment equality, it must demonstrate results in advancing equality for women in the economy and at work. Equality in the workplace can be a powerful driver of change across society. At the same time, it is important to ensure that women can live safely and in good health.

Lee Sujin, a lawmaker of the Democratic Party of Korea, is being interviewed by The Asia Business Daily. Photo by Yoon Dongju.

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