BCCK stresses gender equality at forum

The British Chamber of Commerce in Korea (BCCK) hosted a breakfast forum titled “Women in the Corporate World: Present State and Future Outlook” at the Grand Hyatt Seoul last Thursday.

The event was moderated by Stephanie Studer, The Economist’s Seoul bureau chief, and featured panelists from two major British companies in Korea, Shell Korea and British American Tobacco (BAT) Korea, as well as global executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles.

The forum began with welcoming remarks from British Deputy Ambassador Sue Kinoshita, who stressed the importance of discussing gender diversity and equality and the United Kingdom’s leadership role on these issues.

Studer then presented articles she had written on gender-related issues in Korea before moving to moderating the panel discussion.

The event’s panelists included Oh Ji-won, who leads the liquefied natural gas (LNG) marketing team and government relations at Shell Korea; Mark Sungrae Kim, partnerin-charge at Heidrick & Struggles Korea; and Kim Eun-ji, national sales manager for British American Tobacco (BAT) Korea.

Oh and Kim discussed their own experiences ascending the ranks of their companies and the challenges and successes they faced. The two reflected on existing concepts of parenting in Korea and the difficulties women face in balancing work and life.

Kim stressed the important role women play in the workplace, why companies should hire more women and the need for men to play a greater role in raising children.

BCCK CEO Sean Blakeley expressed his pride in hosting the forum focused on gender equality.

“We are proud to have hosted an event — perhaps one of the first by a chamber of commerce in Korea — that focuses on such important issues as gender equality and diversity in the Korean corporate space,” Blakeley said.

“Along with many of our member companies, Shell Korea and BAT Korea are at the forefront of working on and facing these issues. I think multinational companies are in a unique position to push existing barriers regarding gender diversity and equality in Korea.”

The event ended with an active Q&A session.

As part of its efforts to positively contribute to these issues, the BCCK plans to launch a one-on-one mentorship program that will help provide guidance, share wisdom and offer encouragement to young women looking to enter Korea’s corporate environment.

The BCCK’s breakfast forums are held on a regular basis where specific topics of interest to members are discussed in detail.