Women in South Korea face systemic discrimination throughout their working lives, with the effects becoming more severe as they age, according to a new Human Rights Watch report. The result is a workplace system in which women face barriers to hiring, promotion and pay before being pushed into increasingly limited and precarious jobs later in life.
The Disadvantage Starts Early
Social expectations around education and family responsibilities can affect women’s careers from the beginning. Human Rights Watch found that women are more likely to have their careers disrupted after marriage or having children, while men continue to dominate managerial and executive positions.
More than half of women in their early 50s whose careers had been disrupted had spent at least 20 years outside the workforce. Those who leave work often struggle to return at the same level. Women also face a significant promotion and pay disadvantage. In 2024, women in South Korea earned an average of 31% less than men. By their late 50s, women earned about 50% less than men their age.
Jobs Narrow As Women Get Older
The employment options available to women become increasingly limited with age. Women in their 50s reported finding work primarily in call centers, supermarkets, school kitchens, cleaning and caregiving. By their 60s and 70s, those options can narrow further to cleaning and care work.
Human Rights Watch found that 60% of jobs on the government’s Work24 employment portal designated for people ages 50 and older were home caregiving positions. About 90% fell into four categories: health care and care support, cleaning, building security and management, and food service.
These jobs were generally lower paid, often part-time or hourly, and frequently required little education or experience. Women made up most applicants for caregiving, cleaning, kitchen and social service positions, while older men were more likely to apply for higher-paid security, maintenance and building caretaker roles.
Retirement Can Mean A Major Pay Cut
Mandatory retirement and South Korea’s peak wage system add another barrier. Employers can require workers to retire at 60 or older, while the peak wage system allows wages to be reduced during the years leading up to retirement.
That can force women out of their primary careers before they qualify for pensions and into lower-paid work. One woman who retired from a utility company at 60 went from earning about $38,000 a year to roughly $11,000 as a part-time care worker.
The peak wage system can also produce steep cuts. One 55-year-old transport worker told Human Rights Watch that her wages would be reduced by 45% during the two years before her mandatory retirement.
Lower Pay Carries Into Retirement
The gender pay gap accumulates over time, contributing to a substantial pension gap. In 2025, women’s average monthly National Old Age Pension payment was 53% of men’s, creating a 47% gap in that program.
Women are also more likely to have shorter contribution histories and therefore receive reduced pensions. The contribution age cap of 59 can further limit the years women who return to work in their 40s and 50s have left to build pension benefits.
South Korea’s childbirth credit system also creates a disparity. Although the credits can be claimed by either parent, they generally benefit the higher-earning parent. Women received only 3% of childbirth credits in 2025 despite being the primary caregivers for most children.
Older Women Face Gendered Age Discrimination
Human Rights Watch said the combination of sexism and ageism leaves older women facing a distinct form of discrimination at work. Women interviewed described age-based stereotypes, harassment and worsening working conditions.
The physical demands of caregiving, cleaning, school food service and street work can also take a toll on older women’s health. Many work on short-term contracts with low wages, limited social protections and little access to paid sick leave.
Human Rights Watch also pointed to a lack of workplace support for menopause. Women experiencing symptoms may have no formal accommodations or policies allowing them to manage those symptoms at work.
The organization is calling on South Korea to eliminate its mandatory retirement age and peak wage system, strengthen protections against discrimination, improve employment programs and address the gender pay and pension gaps.
