Earnings Differences in the South Korean Labor Market: Decomposing the Gender Wage Gap, 1988-98

Abstract

We examine gender differences in earnings among South Korean workers in 1988 and 1998. In 1988, the South Korean National Assembly enacted the Equal Employment Opportunity Act. Using OWS data, we explore the gender wage gap. Following Ronald Oaxaca's (1973) work, we decompose male female wage differentials. We also calculate a discrimination coefficient. Our work shows that gender earning differences decreased between 1988 and 1998. In 1988, men enjoyed a wage that was 208% of women's wages. In 1998, men earned a wage that was only 165% of women's wages. While men continue to earn a higher wage than women in South Korea, the wage gap has improved over time.