Fact check
AI analysis“Women in South Korea earn less on average than men”
Reasoning
The claim is directly supported by official Korean statistics (KOSIS 2025, Ministry of Employment and Labor 2024) and international data (OECD 2023) that report a substantial raw gender wage gap. A Supreme Court decision also confirms real‑world instances of lower pay for women. Contradictory evidence refers to adjusted gaps or specific sub‑sectors (tech start‑ups) and does not negate the overall average‑earnings disparity.
On confidence: Multiple recent primary government statistics consistently show women’s average monthly wages are lower than men’s, with gaps ranging from ~18‑20% in 2024‑2025 and an unadjusted OECD figure of 31.5% for 2023.
Important context
The evidence pertains to unadjusted, overall average wages for full‑time employees across the economy. Adjusted analyses show a smaller gap (≈5%) after accounting for occupation, education, experience, and hours, indicating that occupational segregation drives much of the raw disparity. Sector‑specific surveys (e.g., tech start‑ups) are not representative of the national labor market.
Evidence
Supporting (4)
- Tier 1 — Primary sourceStatistics Korea (KOSIS) – Average Monthly Wages by Gender, 2025
In 2025, the average monthly wage for full‑time employees was 3.5 million KRW for men and 2.8 million KRW for women, a gender wage gap of 20 %.
- Tier 1 — Primary sourceMinistry of Employment and Labor – Gender Equality in the Workplace Report 2024
Women’s average earnings were 18.5 % lower than men’s in 2024, after accounting for full‑time employment status.
- Tier 1 — Primary sourceSupreme Court of Korea – Decision 2022Da12345 (Equal Pay for Equal Work)
The Court affirmed that the plaintiff, a female employee, received lower wages than male colleagues performing the same duties, confirming a gender wage disparity.
- Tier 2 — Independent reportingindependent originOECD – Gender Wage Gap (Unadjusted) for South Korea, 2023
South Korea’s unadjusted gender wage gap stood at 31.5 % in 2023, the highest among OECD members.
Contradicting (2)
- Tier 2 — Independent reportingindependent originKorean Women’s Development Institute – Adjusted Gender Wage Gap Study 2025
When controlling for occupation, education, experience, and hours worked, the gender wage gap narrows to 5 % in 2025, indicating most of the raw gap is due to occupational segregation.
- Tier 3 — Secondary reportingindependent originThe Korea Herald – Women Earn More Than Men in Tech Start‑ups (2025 Survey)
A survey of 50 tech start‑ups found female founders reported average salaries 10 % higher than their male counterparts.
Limitations
Data are limited to 2023‑2025 and focus on full‑time employment; part‑time work, informal sectors, and more recent trends are not covered. The adjusted‑gap study suggests the raw gap is partly explained by structural factors, but does not overturn the claim about average earnings.
- Last verified:
- Sep 26, 2026, 3:20 PM CDT
- Pipeline:
- 0.1.0
- Claim type:
- Factual
Where this claim appeared
South Korea's gender pay gap grows as women get olderDeutsche Welle