New Gender Quota Set

The government has set quotas on each agency within the central government, saying they must all have at least one female bureau or division head. Local governments also must have at least one female manager within their bureaucratic structure by the end of the year, but the deadline for central government offices to comply has not yet been set.

The Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs said Friday it wants to encourage female leadership in the government. As of February 2000, there were 1,448 women in managerial positions in the central government, amounting to only 4.4 percent of all central government managers. The government's goal is to bring this number up to 10 percent by 2005.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare has the second-highest percentage of women in managerial positions at 29.5 percent. The Ministry of Gender Equality has the highest percentage of women.

Among local governments, the Seoul Metropolitan Government had the highest percentage at 10.4 percent.