Around 75% of Koreans say education-based discrimination exists for job seekers: Survey

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Around 75% of Koreans say education-based discrimination exists for job seekers: Survey

Published: 11 Oct. 2024, 18:09

Democratic Party Rep. Kang Deuk-gu at National Assembly on Sept. 30 [YONHAP]

Nearly 75 percent of Koreans believe that discrimination based on educational background exists in the country, according to a recent survey, underscoring the need for amendments to existing discrimination law.

Survey results on Koreans’ perceptions toward discrimination based on education level were revealed by the Democratic Party Rep. Kang Deuk-gu and the Bomedu foundation during a press conference at the National Assembly on Thursday. According to the survey, a total of 74.7 percent of survey respondents said they believe discrimination based on educational background is "severe" in the country.

The survey was conducted by the data analytics firm Realmeter on 1,003 Koreans from Sept. 20 to 21.

To the question of whether the school an applicant attended and their level of education affected their employment prospects when applying for jobs, 42.8 percent said "very likely," while 42.4 percent said "in some way." 11.8 percent said it does not have an effect on the hiring process.

Although Korea's Framework Act on Employment Policy prohibits such discrimination in hiring, 66 percent of participants said the law is not being adequately enforced. Additionally, 63 percent said that amendments are necessary to better regulate this issue.

"As the survey shows, many Koreans recognize that discrimination based on educational background exists in the hiring process," Rep. Kang said during the press conference.

He emphasized his commitment to amending the act to promote a fair employment process by introducing clear standards and penalty clauses, which he says are currently lacking.

BY WOO JI-WON [woo.jiwon@joongang.co.kr]