Women Hold Only 10 Top Local Government Posts After South Korean Elections

In the recent 6.3 local elections in South Korea, only 10 women secured positions as mayors or county chiefs, out of a total of 243 available seats. This stark figure highlights persistent challenges in female representation at the highest levels of local government.

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The political will of the political circles to break the solid male-dominated political structure and secure the representation of women and minorities through this local election was still not visible.

Analysis of the Central Election Commission's data by the Korea Women's Political Institute revealed that women constitute 33.1% of all elected officials, totaling 1,398 out of 4,226 positions. This represents an increase from the 2022 elections, where women accounted for 28.6% (1,180 officials). The number of female provincial council members rose by 67 to 182, and female local council members increased by 112 to 762.

However, the core leadership positions of local government heads show little change. Among the 243 mayoral and county chief positions, only 10 were won by women, a slight increase from 7 (2.9%) in the previous election and 8 (3.3%) in the election before that. Women's organizations argue that this demonstrates a continued "glass ceiling" in politics.

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As long as the structure that pushes women and minorities to the periphery of politics continues, the problems of discrimination and exclusion will persist.

The Korean Women's Federation for Justice issued a statement criticizing the lack of political will to break down the male-dominated political structure and ensure representation for women and minorities. They warned that the continued marginalization of women and minorities in politics will perpetuate discrimination and exclusion. While acknowledging the achievements of prominent female politicians, such as the first female provincial governor and multiple female mayors and county chiefs serving third terms, the federation stressed that these successes should not be viewed as isolated incidents. They called for fundamental changes to the political system that currently underrepresents women.

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Their achievements should not be consumed as exceptional events; the political structure itself, where women are underrepresented, must be changed.