South Korean President Kim Dae Jung continues to make history. This month he selected the first female prime minister, a ground-breaking move in male-dominated South Korean society. Predictably, the decision has been derided as a political gesture to shore up the government's faltering support; opposition members and some politicians have betrayed their chauvinism by questioning the ability of a woman to lead the country. The poisonous political atmosphere in Seoul does not bode well for the Cabinet, or the country, during the next six months.
President Kim selected Ms. Chang Sang, the Princeton-educated president of Ewha Woman's University, to lead the new Cabinet. The premiership is largely a ceremonial post; most real power is concentrated in the office of the president. Nonetheless, the decision to choose a woman for the job is historic.
Like Japan, South Korea is a male-dominated society in which women are relegated primarily to secondary roles outside the home. A 1998 United Nations report criticized South Korea for its treatment of women. President Kim responded by establishing a ministry of gender equality, increasing the number of women officials in government and strengthening laws against discrimination and domestic violence. The results have not been encouraging.