[News Space=Reporter seungwon lee] The number of female executives in the top 100 companies in Korea has reached 463, the highest number ever. In addition, 74 out of the 100 companies this year produced at least one female executive, breaking the record set last year and the year before.

 

Compared to last year, the total number of executives in the top 100 companies this year increased only slightly by 0.8%, but the number of female executives increased by 5.5% during the same period. Among individual companies, Samsung Electronics surpassed 80 for the first time this year, and Amore Pacific was found to have the highest percentage of female executives among all executives.

 

CJ CheilJedang, Naver, and Hyundai Motors were also included in the list of companies with more than 20 female executives. In addition, it was found that among the female executives active in the top 100 companies this year, the proportion of MZ generation born after 1980 exceeded 10%. 

 

These results were derived from the results of the '2024 Survey on the Status of Female Executives in Top 100 Domestic Companies' announced on the 11th by global headhunting specialist Unicosearch (CEO Kim Hye-yang). The survey targets the top 100 companies in terms of sales (based on separate financial statements) of listed companies, and the survey on female executives was conducted by referencing executive status data from the semi-annual report this year.

 

The executives are based on both inside directors and unregistered executives, and outside directors were excluded from the survey. The owner's family was also included in the survey. However, changes in executives after the submission of the semi-annual report were not separately reflected. 

 

According to the survey results, the number of female executives in the top 100 companies this year was 463. This is an increase of 24 (5.5%) from the 439 last year. Considering that the total number of executives in the top 100 companies this year increased by about 0.8% compared to last year, the increase in female executives was more than six times steeper. The movement of selecting female executives in large companies continues steadily in the 2024 personnel. 

 

The number of female executives in the top 100 companies was only 13 in 2004. It then increased to 22 in 2006, 51 in 2010, and 76 in 2011, and in 2013, the era of 100 female executives began for the first time. The number of female executives in 2013 was 114. In 2014, the upward trend slowed to 106.

 

After that, it increased to 2015 (138 people) → 2016 (150 people) → 2018 (216 people) → 2019 (244 people) → 2020 (286 people) → 2021 (322 people). In 2022, it entered the 400s with 403 people, and last year, it increased to 439 people. This year, it increased by more than 20 people compared to last year, increasing to 460 people. 

 

Looking only at the number of female executives over the past year, the increase was clear, but when looking only at the proportion of female executives among all executives, the glass ceiling remained solid. Following last year, it was at the 6% level this year as well. The proportion of female executives among all executives in the top 100 companies was 3.5% in 2019 → 4.1% in 2020 → 4.8% in 2021 → 5.6% in 2022, and exceeded 6% for the first time last year at 6.3%.

 

This year, out of the 7,404 executives, women accounted for 6.3%, similar to last year. There is still a long way to go before the percentage of female executives in the top 100 companies exceeds 10%. 

 

Even in the glass ceiling, the number of companies trying to produce female executives is increasing. The number of companies with female executives in the top 100 companies this year is 74, which is 2 more than last year and the year before, and is the highest ever. The number of companies with female executives has been increasing slightly by year: 10 in 2004 → 13 in 2006 → 21 in 2010.

 

Since then, it has continuously expanded from 30 in 2011 → 33 in 2013 → 37 in 2015 → 40 in 2016 → 55 in 2018 → 56 in 2019 → 60 in 2020 → 65 in 2021. Then, it increased to 72 in 2022 and 2023, and this year, it has increased by two in one year to 74. 

 

Looking at the female executives of the top 100 companies identified this year by industry group, the IT industry alone accounted for 179 people, or 38.7%. It was found that 4 out of 10 female executives of the top 100 companies are active in IT-related fields such as Samsung Electronics and Naver.  

 

◆ The proportion of female executives born after 1980 exceeds 10% for the first time… The highest number of female executives born in 1973 is 50

 

Of the 463 female executives of the top 100 companies identified this year, 409, or 88.3%, were born after 1970. This is a higher rate than in 2019 (60.7%) → 2020 (65%) → 2021 (72%) → 2022 (81.4%) → 2023 (85.2%).

 

Looking at the female executives of the top 100 companies this year by year of birth, those born in the early 1970s (1970-1973) were the most numerous at 155 (33.5%). Those born between 1974 and 1976 came in second at 120 (25.9%), followed by those born between 1977 and 1979 at 83 (17.9%). 

 

What is unusual about this year’s survey is that the percentage of those born between 1970 and 1973 and those born between 1974 and 1977 decreased slightly, while the percentage of those born between 1977 and 1979 and those born after 1980 increased further. In particular, female executives born after 1980 accounted for 11%, exceeding 10% for the first time this year. 

 

Looking at it in detail, those born between 1970 and 1973 were in the 40% range at 40.6% in 2020, but then fell to 39.4% in 2021 → 37% in 2022 → 35.8% in 2023, and even dropped to 33.5% this year. Those born between 1974 and 1976 increased from 19.9% ​​in 2021 → 25.3% in 2022 → 26% in 2023, but the increase slowed down to 25.9% this year.

 

In contrast, those born between 1977 and 1979 have steadily increased from 7.1% in 2021 to 11.7% in 2022 to 15.3% in 2023 to 17.9% in 2024. This year, it has increased by 2.9%P compared to last year. The number of female executives born after 1980 has also increased from 5.6% in 2021 to 7.4% in 2022 to 8.2% in 2023, and has surpassed the 10% mark for the first time this year at 11%. The number of female executives born after 1980 has also exceeded 50, reaching 51 this year. 

 

Among the single birth years, those born in 1973 had the most with 50. ▲1971 (46 people) and ▲1975 (45 people) each have over 40 active people. Next, ▲1976 (39 people) ▲1972 and 1974 (36 people each) ▲1977 and 1978 (31 people each) ▲1970 (23 people) ▲1979 (21 people) ▲1980 (20 people) were found to have over 20 female executives in that order. 

 

This year, Samsung Electronics was confirmed to have the most female executives among the top 100 companies. It was confirmed that 81 female executives are active. Compared to 72 last year, the number of female executives increased by 9 in one year, entering the 80s for the first time. CJ CheilJedang and Naver had the most with 26, and Hyundai Motors also had 20, making it into the list of companies with more than 20 female executives. 

 

▲Amore Pacific (16 people) ▲Lotte Shopping and LG Electronics (14 people each) ▲LG Chemical (12 people) ▲KT, Mirae Asset Securities, and Samsung C&T (11 people each) ▲SK Telecom (10 people) joined the group of companies with 10 or more female executives. 

 

Among companies with 10 or more female executives, Amorepacific had the highest percentage of female executives at 28.1% out of 57 total executives this year. This is a 3.1%P increase from last year’s 25%. CJ CheilJedang (23.4%), Naver (19.7%), Lotte Shopping (15.9%), KT (12.8%), and LG Chem (10.4%) also had female executives exceeding 10% this year.

 

It was found that among the 100 companies surveyed this time, there are 10 inside directors who are active as board members. Of these, it was confirmed that there are 4 female executives who hold the title of CEO: Choi Yeon-hye, President of Korea Gas Corporation; Lee Jung-ae, President of LG Household & Health Care; Lee Boo-jin, President of Hotel Shilla; and Choi Soo-yeon, President of Naver.

 

In addition, ▲Yeong Myung-hee (LG Uplus), ▲Lee Ji-yeon (Amore Pacific), ▲Chae Seon-ju (Naver), ▲Kim So-young (CJ CheilJedang), ▲Lee Seon-young (CJ ENM), and ▲Lim Sang-min (Daesang) were identified as key executives attending the board of directors. 

 

“The atmosphere of valuing female talent continues in large companies, and the phenomenon of selecting women for executive positions in 2025 is expected to remain strong,” said Kim Hye-yang, CEO of Unicosearch. “In line with the global trend of ESG management, the trend of emphasizing diversity, and cases where female talent is strong in overcoming crises due to transparency and fairness that is not biased toward specific connections also played a role.”

 

He added, “The sense of urgency that we may fall behind in competitiveness if we do not actively utilize female talent in the long term, coupled with future population issues, is also cited as a factor in actively recruiting female executives.”