Park Sun-young, center, a participant at Re:Boot Camp, speaks with other participants at Root Impact's headquarters in Seoul, March 12. Courtesy of Root Impact

Excitement, coupled with a hint of nervousness, filled a conference room at Seongsu-dong in eastern Seoul, on a sunny day in March. Seated side by side at six tables, each bearing the names of a company, a group of women introduced themselves and exchanged greetings in a friendly manner.

These women seemingly had almost nothing in common. Their ages, backgrounds and work experiences varied greatly.

Yet, there was one thing they all shared: the desire to restart their careers.

Roh Seung-hwa, 53, was one of them. As a dedicated mother who put her career on hold for over 10 years to focus on child-rearing, she felt that now is the time to focus on her own growth, not her daughter's anymore.

"My daughter is now majoring in business at college. She's all grown up. I realized it's also my time to grow and evolve personally. If I don't jump in now, I feared there might be no chances left," Roh said.

Roh Seung-hwa, center, a participant at Re:Boot Camp, speaks with other participants at Root Impact's headquarters in Seoul, March 12. Courtesy of Root Impact

The program that Roh and the other 19 women attended is called Re:Boot Camp. Designed by Root Impact, a nonprofit organization, the program aims to support women who paused their careers for marriage, childbirth or caregiving, and are now ready to leverage their prior work experience to advance their careers.

Over 10 weeks, participants engaged with real-world projects from various participating companies, refreshing their work acumen and enhancing their practical skills through digital tools and tailored education. Since its inception in 2018, the program has welcomed approximately 140 women, offering them a chance to reignite their careers.

"Small companies struggle to recruit experienced talent, yet they're able to offer a work environment that's horizontal, flexible and free," Heo Jae-hyong, CEO of Root Impact, said.

"For women resuming their careers after a break, the priority isn't always a full-time role with high salaries. Instead, their main concern is avoiding extended gaps in their careers. They seek opportunities where they can contribute meaningfully and experience self-efficacy, balancing with family responsibilities."

Participants discuss their projects during the Re:Boot Camp orientation at Root Impact's headquarters in Seoul, March 12. Courtesy of Root Impact

"This program is such a rare opportunity for women looking to restart their careers," said Park Sun-young, another participant who stepped away from her job in 2014 to focus on raising her child.

Although she continued to work as a freelancer, taking on short-term projects in content planning and editing, Park felt the pull of team collaboration and faced financial pressures as her daughter approached high school.

However, upon deciding to re-enter the job market, she was met with a stark reality.

Living in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, she sought help from various government-run women's employment centers, only to find the experience disheartening.

"I felt marginalized, as if my work experience was deemed invaluable," Park recalled.

During her freelancing work, Park encountered many strong, yet lesser-known companies in need of skilled employees. She believed she could be introduced to one such company during her visits to the centers.

"The centers did not even have a comprehensive list of the local businesses. They mainly offered basic, low-paying jobs, like packaging positions at 12,000 won ($8.91) per hour," Park said.

Roh echoed similar sentiments, "With 17 years of experience in financial accounting, HR and asset management, my skills are highly specialized and require expertise. Yet, the job suggestions I receive fail to reflect this. It's as if society views me merely as a person who did nothing at home."

Roh hopes that society can take back its prejudice towards women who have paused their careers.

"There's a prevalent belief that we should be content with low-skilled jobs simply because we stepped away from our previous roles. My message is clear: Being an 'ajumma' (middle-aged woman) doesn't mean we lack awareness or ambition," Roh said.

Women looking for jobs receive consultations from a women's employment center in Seoul in this October 2022 file photo. Korea Times file

Their sentiments are not just personal, but corroborated by statistics.

As of the first half of 2023, almost 1.35 million women, or about one in five married women, are on a career break, with the average duration lasting 8.9 years. The primary reason for these breaks is child care, accounting for 567,000 women or 42 percent of cases. This is followed by marriage (26.2 percent) and pregnancy and childbirth (23 percent).

Even upon returning to work, they face challenges, notably in the quality of available positions. Women typically find their salaries reduced to just 84.5 percent of what they earned before their break. There's also a noticeable shift in the job landscape, with fewer opportunities in office jobs, professional roles and permanent positions. Conversely, there's an increase in sales and service roles, alongside a surge in temporary job offerings.

Women's economic participation is especially critical as Korea faces a declining working-age population. Earlier this month, the Federation of Korean Industries highlighted the impact of women's career breaks, estimating an annual loss of about 44 trillion won.

"Active participation of women in the economy and childbirth are crucial for economic growth and development. Moreover, enacting policies that foster equal opportunities and eliminate discrimination is fundamental to establishing an equitable social environment and increasing the life satisfaction of each individual within society," Kang So-hyun, a research fellow from Korea Capital Market Institute, said.

International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva also noted during her visit to Korea last December that reducing the gender gap in work hours could raise Korea's per capita income by 18 percent.

Heo Jae-hyong, left, CEO of Root Impact, and Hong Ju-eun, the project leader of Re:Boot Camp, talk with The Korea Times at the company's headquarters in Seoul, March 12. Courtesy of Root Impact

Yet, the lack of adequate child care infrastructure and the societal expectations for women to bear the brunt of caregiving responsibilities often force women to put their careers on hold.

"It's a misconception that career interruptions among women are always a matter of personal choice. Such conceptions hamper societal change," Hong Ju-eun, the project leader of Re:Boot Camp, said.

"Many alums say that participating in this program allowed them to regain confidence and sharpen skills. Despite this personal growth, the unchanged external environment still poses challenges to implementing immediate changes in their career trajectory."

Recognizing and respecting the diverse situations of women facing career interruptions is thereby important, according to Heo.

"Society tends to oversimplify the issue by categorizing these women as a homogenous group, ignoring the vast differences in their work perspectives, employment status, family responsibilities and access to support," Heo said.

Many have mentioned that tailored policy supports and an increased number of flexible working positions are the most needed components to facilitate their return to their professional journeys.

"Korea is a rare country where most women are highly educated, having put in tremendous efforts to pursue and maintain careers. As long as the burden exists that they must excel in both their workplace and family responsibilities, I believe birthrates will remain low, regardless of cash support," Heo said.

Children play at a day care center which Root Impact operates in partnership with 13 social ventures in Seoul in this undated photo. Courtesy of Root Impact

Therefore, Heo believes that creating a flexible and inclusive working environment is crucial for the future, not only for women but also for many people pursuing various family structures.

Such an environment can create a win-win situation for both employees and the company, Heo said.

Based on this belief, Root Impact has established a day care center in partnership with 13 social venture companies in Seongsu-dong, eastern Seoul, while also offering flexible work arrangements. The center alleviates the child care burden for employees, enabling them to continue their professional growth without compromise.

It required a significant amount of financial investment, yet, it also promised returns.

"For a small organization like ours, offering flexible work arrangements and supportive services, like this day care center, significantly boosts our appeal to high-caliber talent," Heo said.

"I believe these represent the unseen profits of the company's investments. Attracting and retaining great colleagues, ensuring they remain engaged over the long term, poses the most significant challenge. While it's challenging to quantify these benefits in economic terms, the payoff, in the long run, is substantial."

Heo Jae-hyong, CEO of Root Impact, speaks during U.N. Women's International Women's Day event at a hotel in Seoul, March 8. Hoping for other leaders to join the efforts, Heo delivered speeches there, urging the importance of investing in women. Courtesy of UN Women