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Cracks in news industry's glass ceiling?

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Lee So-jung. Captured from KBS website
Lee So-jung. Captured from KBS website

By Park Si-soo

State-run broadcaster KBS has named a female reporter in her 40s as the main host of its prime-time news show, in an attempt to break the glass ceiling of the male-dominated conservative TV news industry.

Lee So-jung, 43, will lead KBS News 9 starting Nov. 25, along with male co-host Choi Dong-suk, 41.

"It's unprecedented for KBS to have a woman as the main face of KBS News 9," an official said.

KBS is the first of the nationwide terrestrial broadcasters to take this step.

In the male-dominated broadcasting industry, the main hosts of prime-time news shows have been well-groomed men in their 40-50s, while their co-hosts have been young, slim women ― mostly unmarried ― in body-hugging dresses.

The stories they present have also been assigned in a way preserving conventional gender roles ― top, hard news for male hosts, and soft, gossipy news for female co-hosts.

The norm-breaking reshuffle is widely seen as a step KBS, the nation's biggest broadcaster, has taken to support President Moon Jae-in's push for gender equality. The liberal-minded leader has strived to create an atmosphere in which more women land decision-making positions in the public and private sectors.

For his part, the President has filled five of 18 Cabinet seats with talented women since taking office ― Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Yoo Eun-hae, Land, Infrastructure and Transport Minister Kim Hyun-mi, Minister of SMEs and Startups Park Young-sun and Minister of Gender Equality and Family Lee Jung-ok.

South Korea ranks 124 out of 149 countries in the world in terms of economic participation and opportunity for women, according to the World Economic Forum. It has the largest gender pay gap ― 35 percent ― among OECD countries. The average is 13.8 percent.


Park Si-soo pss@koreatimes.co.kr


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