Top 100 Companies See Record Number of Female Executives, but Share Stays at 6.6% as 'Glass Ceiling' Persists

Up 15 in a year, bringing the total close to 500
Companies with at least one female executive top “80” for the first time
Executives born in the 1970s and 1980s make strong gains

The number of female executives at Korea’s top 100 companies exceeded 490 for the first time, reaching a record high. Samsung Electronics had the most, with 80 female executives, while the number of companies with at least one female executive surpassed 80 for the first time. However, women accounted for just 6.6% of all executives, indicating that the “glass ceiling” at large companies remains firmly in place.

On November 9, the Korea CXO Research Institute, which specializes in corporate analysis, released the findings of its “2026 Survey on Female Executives at Korea’s Top 100 Companies.” The survey was based on the half-year reports published this year by the 100 listed companies with the highest revenue in 2025, according to separate financial statements. It included inside directors and unregistered executives but excluded outside directors.

The survey found that the top 100 companies had a total of 491 female executives this year. That was a 3.2% increase, or 15 people, from last year’s 476, bringing the total close to 500. The number of female executives at the top 100 companies stood at just 13 in 2004, before surpassing 100 to reach 114 in 2013. It then rose to 216 in 2018 and 403 in 2022, and has continued to climb steadily.

The number of companies with at least one female executive rose to 81 this year, up by two from 79 the previous year and surpassing 80 for the first time. That was more than eight times the 10 companies recorded in 2004. In contrast, the 19 companies that still had no female executives were mostly in traditional heavy industries, including shipbuilding, steel, and aerospace.

Despite the increase in the overall numbers, however, the proportion of female executives among all executives has yet to break out of stagnation. Women accounted for 3.5% of all executives at the top 100 companies in 2019, rising to 5.6% in 2022. Since then, the figure has remained in the 6% range for four consecutive years, increasing from 6.3% in 2023 to 6.6% this year. Critics say the glass ceiling remains higher than at companies in other advanced economies.

By age group, 450 executives born in 1970 or later accounted for 91.6% of the total, leading the generational change. Those born from 1974 to 1976, in particular, made up the largest group, with 138 executives, or 28.1%. By individual birth year, those born in 1976 were the largest group at 49, followed by those born in 1977 with 48, in 1975 with 47, and in 1974 and 1978 with 42 each.

Notably, the number of female executives born in the late 1970s and 1980s is growing. Those born from 1977 to 1979 numbered 129, or 26.1% of the total, with their share up 5.1 percentage points from the previous year. The share of younger female executives born in 1980 or later also rose by 3.9 percentage points, from 11.6% last year to 15.5%, or 76 people, this year.

By company, Samsung Electronics held the top spot by a wide margin, with 80 female executives. Naver followed with 28, Hyundai Motor with 22, and CJ CheilJedang with 21, making them the companies with at least 20 female executives.

Companies with at least 10 female executives included Samsung C&T with 18; Mirae Asset Securities with 16; LG Electronics and LG Chem with 13 each; SK hynix and SK Innovation with 11 each; and Samsung Life Insurance and Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance with 10 each. Samsung C&T added six female executives in one year, while SK hynix added five, joining the ranks of companies with double-digit numbers.

Among companies with at least 10 female executives, CJ CheilJedang was the only one where women accounted for more than 20% of all executives, at 20.8% of its 101 executives. At Naver, women made up 19.7% of its 142 executives. By contrast, women accounted for just 7.2% of executives at Samsung Electronics, the company with the most female executives in Korea.

Oh Il-seon, head of the Korea CXO Research Institute, said, “The number of female executives at the top 100 companies has generally increased over the past decade or so. However, compared with periods when the number rose by 50 to 80 a year, growth has slowed somewhat over the past two years, with annual increases remaining in the teens. To prepare for the difficulty of securing talent as the working-age population declines, large companies should systematically develop female middle managers and expand their opportunities to take on key positions and earn promotions. This will help build a stronger pool of female executive candidates over the medium to long term.”

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