[Letters] No more glass ceiling, please

I used to be a student who believed that discrimination against women was decreasing. Nowadays, people can easily see many female leaders on the front pages of major publications and prime-time news broadcasts.

The recent movie “Kung Fu Panda 2” was directed by a woman and many female politicians are emerging and contributing to the country. Women work less inside the house and work more outside the house to successively accomplish their goals.

However, my beliefs seemed erroneous when I read “Korean women struggle to break the glass ceiling” on Aug. 29th. If 71.9 percent of women feel that they are not being promoted because of the male-oriented atmosphere, then it is the same as saying that Korea is losing 71.9 of efficient and high-qualified human resources. The reason behind the scarcity of successful role models stems from the fact that only a few are given the chance.

It is stubborn to discriminate against genders in today’s society. Especially these days, it should not matter whether a person is a male or a female - it is the skill level that should determine career advancements. So-called “specs” are what determine the career, not the gender.

Also, personality and social skills are important factors that lead to success. Long dinners and drinking sessions should not be considered the only ways to form personnel networks.

The likable characteristics and attitudes of a person should be a beneficial factor in business relationships, not the amount of alcohol one can drink.

Therefore, as long as women work on elevating their capabilities and absorbing into society skillfully alongside with men, they should not be hampered to lead a successful career.

Park Ji-woo, a student at Seowon High School