"I'll Work Only 4 Hours Today"... Kakao Tops in 'Development and Work-Life Balance' with Flexible Hours [2025 Gender Equality Index]

How Did the Top 100 Companies Perform?
Kakao Leads Among Top 100 Listed Companies
CJ ENM Jumps 40 Spots to Rank Second Overall
IT, Telecommunications, Distribution, and Service Sectors Dominate the Top Ranks
Construction, Heavy and Chemical Industries Concentrated at the Bottom

Editor's NoteThe 'Asia Economy Gender Equality Index,' launched to assess the status of women's workforce utilization and gender equality efforts at major domestic companies and to promote work-life balance, marks its 10th anniversary this year. Over the years, the index has served as a catalyst for spreading a culture of inclusion and coexistence within companies. To mark the 10th anniversary, Asia Economy has refined the evaluation criteria and methods and enhanced its analysis system to improve the index's objectivity and reliability. As the values of sustainability and diversity grow in importance, we hope the Gender Equality Index will serve as a compass for companies.

Kakao ranked first in the '2025 Asia Gender Equality Index,' which surveyed the top 100 listed companies in Korea. Kakao scored a total of 64.5 points, climbing three spots from last year. The company received consistently high scores across all five evaluation categories: employment, compensation, development, work-life balance, and others. In contrast, Daehan Oil & Chemical recorded the lowest score with a total of 11.5 points.

Kakao Pangyo Ajit, Seongnam, Gyeonggi.

Kakao Excels in Development and Work-Life Balance... CJ ENM Rises Sharply

Kakao took the top spot in the 'development' category. Its board composition contributed significantly to the high score. In March of last year, CEO Jeong Sinha was appointed, and half of the outside directors were women. The company also received positive evaluations for hiring women and fostering female managers. Notably, Kakao operates a blind recruitment system that omits gender and photo fields.

Kakao also received high marks in the 'work-life balance' category, with a high rate of flexible work arrangements. The company has introduced a fully flexible work system, allowing employees to autonomously adjust their start and end times and daily working hours within a set total working hour range. A Kakao representative stated, "We offer various leave, work systems, and welfare programs to support maternity protection and work-life balance."

CJ ENM ranked second overall with a total score of 63.25 points, jumping 40 places from last year. In particular, it was the only company among the top 100 to exceed 20 points in the employment category, scoring 23.5 points. As of the end of last year, the proportion of female regular employees was 62%, far above the average of 20.51%, and this figure has steadily increased over the past five years. The company also received balanced scores in other categories such as development and work-life balance. A CJ ENM representative explained, "We operate our HR system based on competency and performance regardless of gender," adding, "If discrimination is found, we take strong action to foster and support a merit-based organizational culture."

Clear Gaps Between Industries... Some Companies Overcome Limitations

This year also saw clear differences in industry representation between the top and bottom tiers. The top ranks were dominated by IT and telecommunications, distribution, and service sectors. These include Naver (3rd, 62.5 points), KT (4th, 60.25 points), LG Household & Health Care (6th, 55.75 points), Lotte Shopping (7th, 54.25 points), LG Uplus and Coway (tied for 10th, 49 points), SK Telecom (tied for 12th, 48.75 points), and Ottogi (14th, 48.75 points). These companies have a high proportion of female regular employees, and in many cases, women's average years of service are similar to or longer than men's. Their institutional foundations for work-life balance are also well established.

Conversely, the lower ranks were mostly occupied by male-dominated industries such as construction, heavy and chemical industries, and manufacturing. Among the 10 companies ranked 90th or lower, 7 were in construction (HDC Hyundai Development Company), heavy industry/manufacturing (Hanon Systems, Hanwha Ocean, KG Steel, Taihan Electric Wire, KG Mobility, Daehan Oil & Chemical). The remaining three were in energy (Samchully, E1) and trading companies focused on heavy industry (Hyundai Corporation). These companies had a low proportion of female regular employees and limited use of flexible work or parental leave, which contributed to their low scores. This can be seen as an industry limitation.

However, some companies managed to overcome these limitations. Lotte Chemical, a comprehensive chemical company, ranked tied for 16th with a total score of 47 points. Compared to last year, it climbed 54 places, the largest jump among the top 100 companies. While the proportion of female regular employees, years of service, and salary ratios were low compared to other companies in similar industries, it ranked first overall in the work-life balance category. In particular, last year, the male parental leave rate was 71%, far exceeding the top 100 company average of 12.25%.

Hyundai Mobis, an automotive parts manufacturer, also climbed 24 places to rank 37th. Efforts to hire women and encourage flexible work arrangements proved effective. Regardless of industry characteristics, the company's efforts toward gender equality and work-life balance paid off.

Comparison of the Five Major Groups... Samsung Advances, LG Remains Stable

Many Samsung Group affiliates showed upward trends. Samsung Biologics ranked fifth, up three places from last year, securing a top position. Samsung Biologics is recognized as a leading company in the bio industry for its continuous efforts to promote gender equality and a family-friendly culture. The company implements a variety of maternity protection policies, employee mental health management programs, equal gender ratios among interviewers, and principles for recruiting talent based on diversity and inclusion. Samsung Electronics also rose 20 places from last year to rank ninth. While it did not particularly excel in any single category, it received balanced scores across all areas. Other affiliates such as Samsung SDS (25th to 14th), Samsung SDI (20th to 16th), Samsung C&T (33rd to 22nd), and Samsung E&A (61st to 41st) also improved their rankings.

LG Group affiliates also performed well. LG Household & Health Care (6th) and LG Uplus (10th) stood out, and LG Energy Solution climbed 36 places to tie for 19th. A high proportion of female outside directors and the utilization of flexible work arrangements contributed to the rise in rankings. Other key affiliates such as LG Display (28th), LG Electronics (31st), and LG Chem (32nd) were also in the upper-middle tier.

Lotte Group saw Lotte Shopping rank seventh, and Lotte Chemical's rise helped maintain the group's reputation. Hyundai Motor Group, due to industry characteristics, mostly ranked in the middle, but Hyundai Mobis's upward trend was notable, along with Hyundai Glovis (19th) and Hyundai Autoever (23rd).

SK Group showed varied changes among its affiliates. SK Telecom made a dramatic leap from 59th to 12th, driven by the utilization of flexible work arrangements. SK Gas also rose 24 places to rank 33rd. While SK Hynix (11th to 25th) and SK Networks (14th to 27th) remained in the upper-middle tier, their rankings declined compared to last year.

Gender Equality: The Starting Point for Solving Low Birth Rates

Efforts by companies to achieve gender equality and work-life balance are ongoing. The survey found that 71% of the top 100 companies had obtained the government's 'Family-Friendly Certification,' a figure up 5 percentage points from last year. This certification is awarded to companies and public institutions that operate exemplary family-friendly systems, following a rigorous evaluation process. The criteria are strict, and companies must undergo re-certification every three years, requiring ongoing management and effort to maintain the certification. The first certified company appeared in 2008, and as of the end of 2024, a total of 6,502 workplaces in Korea had received certification. Obtaining this certification indicates that a company not only meets minimum legal requirements but also demonstrates a commitment to fostering a family-friendly corporate culture.

Family-Friendly Excellent Company Logo. Ministry of Gender Equality and Family

Additionally, 81% of the top 100 companies operated workplace childcare centers (directly managed, joint, or outsourced), and even among those that did not, many had childcare support systems in place. Seventy-one percent provided nursing rooms or rest areas for mothers. Eighty-five percent of companies operated leadership development programs in which female employees could participate or that were specifically designed for female staff.

Notably, 23% participated in systems or operated separate support programs at the company level for 'career-interrupted women.' This is significant in that companies can directly offer solutions to address low birth rates. According to the Korea Development Institute (KDI) report 'Concerns About Women's Career Interruption and Declining Birth Rates,' more women are postponing or forgoing childbirth due to concerns about career interruption, and such choices are estimated to account for about 40% of the decline in the birth rate. The report emphasized, "Policies to prevent career interruption are expected to reduce the number of women postponing or giving up childbirth, thereby contributing to an increase in the birth rate." The continued expansion and establishment of work-life balance systems and inclusive organizational cultures are essential to solving structural problems in our society and enhancing sustainability.