WOMEN & POLITICS

THE KOREAN INSTITUTE FOR WOMEN & POLITICS

August 1998

KIWP was established in 1989 with the aims of heightening women's political consciousness and expanding political participation. Since that time, KIWP has worked relentlessly to accomplish those objectives, both domestically and in the international arena, through a broad range of programs and undertaking. Such have included both academic and more pragmatically oriented workshops and seminars and the publication of material designed to promote strategies in support of women candidates in the electoral process. We pride ourselves on our determination and commitment to these goals and our resolve to maintain such posture until such time as genuine equality exists in the political realm.

Contents:

* Greetings from the Chairperson/Dr. Jung-sook KIM

* Major Events of 1997-8

* 26th Seminar

* Women's Political Participation in Korea

* 1998 Second Half Projects

* Principal Aims, Structure, and Activities of KIWP

* Chronology of KIWP Activities

Greetings from the Chairperson

Jung-sook KIM

(Chairperson of KIWP/ Member of the National Assembly)

Elections for local and provincial councils and administrative heads were held on June 4 in Korea.  The outcome for women's political participation, however, was disappointing.  Women made little progress compared to the results of the previous elections of June 27, 1995.  The situation calls for a new direction in strategy.

. Percentage of women: 1.6% in local councils, 5.9% (including proportional representation) in provincial council.

2. On June 22, the Korean government received review from CEDAW during its 19th meeting in New York for its 3rd and 4th reports (for 1990-1997). State-parties to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women are obligated to submit a report for CEDAW's evaluation every four years.

As has been noted by CEDAW (Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women) during its review of the reports of the Korean government, remarkable progress has been achieved since the 1980s to rectify the legal and institutional framework for women's policies.  Particularly noteworthy has been the enactment of the Basic Law on Women's Development and the creation of the Women's Development Fund.  Also praiseworthy has been the activities and contributions of women NGOs.  However, a significant gap remains between de jure and de facto equality between the genders.  The greatest barrier is the persistence of the patriarchal tradition of male superiority.

To change the discriminatory perceptions and behavioral patterns, public campaigns as well as systematic education about gender equality in school are required.  Furthermore, women's presence in the decision-making process, which remains very low despite Korean women's high level of educational achievement, must be significantly expanded.  The current economic difficulties has been particularly harsh on women, who are often the first ones to be laid off during the process of corporate restructuring.  NGOs have an increasingly important role to play in the realization of genuine equality.  They must be incorporated into an integral part of the government's efforts to establish effective policies for women.

In July, KIWP celebrated its 9th anniversary, taking stock of the eight rounds of political training, over thirty seminars and conferences on issues related to women and politics, countless policy recommendations, publications, and international activities that it has engaged in over the past decade.

In preparation for its 10th birthday in 1999, KIWP is actively strengthening its links with like-minded groups inside and outside the country.  Domestically, in January it formed the "Women's Political Network" together with the Korean League Women Voters, the Center for Korean Women and Politics, and the Korea Women's Political Caucus.  Internationally, it continues to serve as the East Asia representative of CAPWIP (Center for Asia-Pacific Women in Politics), coordinating the Center's activities in five East Asian countries.

In the months leading up to the June 4 local elections, KIWP and the three other organizations in the "Women's Political Network" pooled their resources in recruiting and training would-be women candidates, and lobbied the political parties to support these women to run on their tickets.  After the elections, the Network organized a rally to congratulate and encourage the women candidates who were successful in the elections despite the odds against them.  The gathering was also an occasion to analyze the results of the elections, based upon which to draw the strategies for greater women's political participation.  Although it is only a few months old, the Network has been widely recognized for its diverse activities.  The Presidential Commission on Women's Affairs has commissioned it to develop a set of teaching materials for women's political education.  The work began in July.

Outside the country, KIWP is also participating in the Preparatory Program of Gender Equality in Politics in the Asia-Pacific Region, which is being promoted by CAPWIP in cooperation with the UNDP.  The project targets the five East Asian countries of Korea, China, Taiwan, Japan, and Mongolia for the education of women politicians, research activities on related topics, and networking across national borders.

In addition to such domestic and international networking activities,  KIWP has developed programs to nurture future women politicians and leaders among the young generation.  Its Mock World Conference on Women and Women's Vision 21 are such initiatives.

Close and wide-ranging cooperation between the government and NGOs is an essential ingredient in the unfolding of a future in which women are full participants.  Looking at the footsteps of the United States during the past 50 years in which it has been, among other things, the single most influential global agent of change for women's advancement, it is clear that the barriers against gender equality cannot be overcome when the effort is scattered among different sectors of society.  In Korea, there are many actors working for women's advancement. The National Assembly has its Special Committee on Women's Affairs. The government's work on women is coordinated by the Presidential Commission on Women's Affairs.  And there are countless civic groups and research organizations which are working with direct and indirect ties with the government authorities.  The government's policies on women cannot have practical impact without fully registering the views of women NGOs.  And without feeding their ideas and recommendations into the institutionalized channels, the NGOs cannot hope to serve as agents for positive change.

The next election, for the National Assembly, is two years away.  The time must be used to establish and implement strategies that can turn the elections into a leap for women's political participation.  This requires the conjoined efforts of all women's groups in the country, as well as links beyond national borders.

KIWP Major Events of Sept. 1997 - July 1998

* 25th KIWP Debate on Women and Politics

The 1997 Presidential Election and Women was the theme of KIWP's 25th Debate on Women and Politics, held at the Korea Press Center on Dec. 17, 1997.  The discussions compared the candidates in terms of their personal philosophy on gender relations, analyzed the election pledges of the political parties on women's policy, and sought ways to effectively register women's views with the political establishment and promote women's political empowerment.

* 6th & 7th Women's Leadership Training

The 6th and 7th  Women's Leadership Training was held at the Seoul Olympic Parktel on Feb. 18-20 and Apr. 15-16, 1998 respectively.  In preparation for the June 4 local elections, the Class offered two days of intensive training to some 120 would-be candidates, campaign assistants, and volunteer workers in campaign strategies, fund raising, office management, image making, public speech, press relations, and other practical concerns in running for public office.  It also included dialogue with women leaders who are already active in the forefront of politics.

* Ulsan  Women's Leadership Training

In collaboration with the Korean Women's Council of Ulsan City and the Ulsan Forum, KIWP held the 1st Ulsan  Women's Leadership Training.  The three-day event was held at the Education and Culture Center in the city of Kyungjoo on March 28-30, 1998.   The event was KIWP's first attempt to extend its political training activities for women into local areas.  Encouraged by the success of this experiment, for which some 90 women were enlisted, KIWP and the other organizers agreed to maintain cooperative ties.

* Women's Political Networking

KIWP joined forces with the Korean League Women Voters, the Center for Korean Women & Politics, and the Korean Women Political Caucus to form the Women's Political Network for the purpose of raising women's political consciousness and voice in preparation for the June 4 local elections.  During its initial months, the four organizations in the Network collaborated to maximize the use of time and resources for  their existing political training programs and classes.  Following weeks of joint efforts in lobbying the political parties for the endorsement of women candidates, the Network held a start-off rally on May 1 for the women candidates running in the elections.   On July 3, it held another rally to congratulate the elected women and to analyze the outcome of the local elections.

*  Rally for Women Candidates

On May 1, 1998, the Women's Political Network held a rally to mark the start of the campaigning for the women candidates in the elections.  With some 200 guests in attendance, hearty words of encouragement were offered the 40-or-so women candidates present by National Assemblywomen and leaders of women's organizations.  The event also served to draw public attention on the expanding presence of women in politics and public life.

*  Rally for Election Winners

On July 3, 1998, the Women's Political Network got together with the Korean National Council of Women to congratulate the women candidates elected to serve in the local and provincial councils through the June 4 balloting.  Some 150 former and active women politicians and organization leaders came to congratulate the newly-elected council women, and to discuss the outcome of the elections and its implications for women's political empowerment.  The participants also resolved to make women's expanding presence the driving force for the betterment of local public office.

* Inauguration of Women's Vision 21

KIWP carried out the preparatory work for the birth of Women's Vision 21, which was inaugurated on June 30, 1998 at the National Press Club.  The founding members of Women's Vision 21 - women leaders  in politics, the economy, culture, education and other fields with a shared orientation toward the future - elected Dr. Jung-sook KIM (KIWP Chairperson) as its first President, and resolved to become active agents for positive social change.  The group is planning to debut with a symposium in September on women's policy in various fields for the 21st century.

* 9th Anniversary of KIWP and 26th Debate on Women & Politics

To mark its 9th anniversary, KIWP held its 26th Debate on Women & Politics on the theme of Women, Politics and the Media on July 7, 1998 at the Convention Hall of the Korea Press Center.  The speakers and discussants reviewed the direct and indirect influences of the media on women's political participation and sought ways to utilize the media for women's empowerment.

26th KIWP Debate on Women & Politics

"Women, Politics and the Media"

Media bias against women and media strategies

to promote women's political participation

The media has become an integral part of the political process, and women's political empowerment cannot be fully accomplished in a media environment that is replete with negative, distorted images of women and is unresponsive to their needs.   Thus, KIWP made its 26th Debate on Women & Politics a forum to discuss the commercial, corporate, and increasingly transnational nature of the media and its influence on politics, and to seek media strategies to promote women's political participation.

Keynote Speech I(Dr. Yong-ae LEE, Professor, Dan-kook University), Media Portrayal of the June 4 Local Elections and Women content-analyzed the major daily newspapers for tendencies and biases in reporting women candidates.  It was found that women in the reports were generally characterized as "odd" or "unusual" as candidates, or as devoted partners as wives of candidates. Specific cases of negative reporting on women candidates were analyzed.  It was pointed out that the sheer quantity of media coverage of women candidates must be expanded, with the proviso that negative coverage can be more harmful to a woman's campaign than a man's.

Keynote Speech II(Dr. Ki-hyun CHUNG, Professor, Han-shin University), Media Strategies for Women's Political Participation discussed the low percentage (5-10%) of women professionals in the media companies as well as the negative images of women they portray, and offered six factors to consider in working out possible strategies against the media.

The typical female portrayed by the media is feeble and passive; she is a working women-turned-housewife or in jobs are that traditionally considered to be the realm of women.  Rather than serving as a positive force for gender equality and the elimination of distorted gender stereotypes in society, the media has served as a key tool for the maintenance and perpetuation of the male-dominated social order.  Women continue to be excluded from media ownership and management, a situation that must be broken if gender equality is to be realized.  The barrier against women's advances in the media industry is particularly high in broadcasting and print journalism.  To make a difference, and to start the process of change to make the media more in line with the goals of women's political empowerment, the following are suggested as guidelines for working out media strategies.

1.  Media's influence comes largely from the continuous and repetitive nature of the images it showers on the public.  Thus, media coverage of women's events and issues should be made more continuous and repetitive.

2.  Effective press relations and personal ties with media professionals must be nurtured with a steady emphasis on the importance of women's issues and political empowerment.

3. Organized women's activities require professional publicity managers.  They come in the form of press officers and spokesperson who brief the media, image makers who can optimize the image of a client portrayed in the media, and speechwriters and idea-generators who are on top of the public pulse, and individuals with links to policy-makers and influential figures.

4.  A gender index can be added to the review of licenses and permits awarded to media companies.  In the United States, in early 1970s a group of women journalists sued Newsday, NBC, and AP for gender discrimination and won millions of dollars in settlement along with promises from the companies that they will not discriminate against women in recruitment, promotion and wages.  The success in the legal battle has been followed by a noticeable rise in the number of women journalists.  The increase in numbers has also been followed by women's advances in the areas of news production that had traditionally been dominated by women.  In the past, women reporters had been limited to the home and women's pages.  But by the 1980s, the percentage of women reporters covering political, economic, and other so-called "hard news" had increased to 30-40%.  Women news producers were nonexistent in the 1970s, but by mid-1980, women accounted for 18% of radio and 8% of television news producers.

5.  Media watch activities against stereotypes and discriminatory images of women must be strengthened and systemized.  Women organizations must make media watch a regular part of their activities with trained monitors and coordinators.  Furthermore, by networking with like-minded organizations abroad,  the media watch groups can the strengthen the universal dimension of their work.

6.  Women's organizations, government agencies, and media companies should nurture consultative ties.  Issues and problems raised in the media watch activities should be conveyed to the media personnel and related authorities.  The authorities should be lobbied to incorporate the gender index in reviewing licenses and permits awarded to media companies.  Media companies should be pressured to incorporate gender equality as a basic principle in their personnel practices.  In the personnel composition of private and public institutes, committees and consultative bodies, gender balance must be made a requirement.  Programs made by women for women and responsive to women's needs should be expanded.

In the ensuing discussions, the following points were raised.

Dr. Hak-su KIM(Professor, Seo-kang University)

Women must make a greater contribution in the solution of collective problems to be able to receive greater attention from the media and the political circle.

Mi-Kyung KIM (Journalist, The Hankyoreh)

A clear understanding of the nature of the media, which are basically profit-driven commercial entities, must form the basis of any action or strategy vis-a-vis the media.

Dr. Young-ok PAEK(Professor, Myung-ji University)

The July 4 elections were a grossly uneven game for women.  More women will be able to get elected if the electoral politics were more fair and observant of the rules.  Media practices which cater to the reality of corrupt politics should be monitored and exposed.  Civic campaigns to boycott television fees, newspaper subscription, and advertisers that finance criticized media content must be carried out.

Mi-Kyung LEE(Member of the National Assembly, R. O. K.)

Criticism of the media's anti-women biases must be accompanied by  active endeavors to use the media.  Support from the party machinery and extensive media coverage can and has led to the birth of high-profile women politicians.

Dr. Eunkyung KIM(Senior researcher, KIWP)

The urgent task is to increase the number of women working in media companies.  With greater fairness in the recruitment process, the gender imbalance can be improved. Media watch activities lack clear standards in evaluating media content for gender discrimination.  Women's organizations, researchers, and the government authorities should join their wisdom to work out a comprehensive and detail "gender discrimination index", that can be applied to media content and further to other areas of social life.

Dr. Kyung-hwa KANG

The importance of media literacy cannot be overstated.  If the media is now the 4th branch of government, perhaps even more influential than the first three, then it must be a part of formal education from the earliest years of schooling.  Children must be taught to have a critical eye for media content.  Media literacy, i.e. the ability to "read" the media and its contents, its intension and hidden messages, is a requirement of an intelligent citizenry.

Dr. Kong-ja Chang(Professor, Chung-buk National University)

In Taiwan, criticized by women's groups as a typification of the commercialization of sex, the Miss China Pageant was shelved, and the media companies are obliged to air programs that portray women in a positive light.  School texts include messages of healthy societies built upon the harmonious and equal relationship between men and women as well as of the national waste in underutilizing the resources that lie in women.   There are men's groups formed to support women's rights and development.  The press is actively supportive of gender equality, and women are appointed to senior and management posts.  Women's issues are given repeated coverage, and women's organizations benefit from advisor groups that are inclusive of men.

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Birth of  Women's Vision 21

A step into the future for action-oriented young women leaders

Human existence in the 21st century information age will be vastly different from what it is today, as quality-of-life issues dominate policy concerns and management of nations.  Productivity and performance in many sectors of society will depend to a large extent on such sensitivities and sensibilities that women typically bring to their task.   In culture, education, social welfare, and even politics and the economy the talents and abilities of women will be increasingly called for.

Women have managed to make significant contributions to social development, despite being limited to peripheral roles in a male-oriented social structure.  Still, women remain largely excluded from many sectors of society.  The freeing of the talents and resources that lie in women will be the key to the building of a prosperous, democratic future.

A genuine democracy that lives by the principle of gender equality can be realized on when both women and men harmoniously share the role as active agents of social an cultural change.  With women relegated to limited roles in society, national development and future prosperity cannot be achieved.  A new thinking about social development is required.

The founding members of Women's Vision 21 are joined in their vision for the coming century, in their aspiration to take leading roles in the changes in politics, the economy, culture and other areas toward an enhanced quality of life for all.

Women, who have remained nameless, whose work have gone mostly unrecognized and unrewarded, must see themselves in a new light and take charge.  As a facilitator of this transformation, Women's Vision 21 will engage in social education programs, research activities on community development, publication and publicity on women's development and empowerment, and alliance with women's organizations in and out of the country.

With young women leaders in the political, economic, cultural and education sectors as its driving force, Women's Vision 21 was inaugurated on July 3, 1998 at the Korea Press Center.  KIWP Chairperson Dr. Jung-sook KIM, elected the first President of Women's Vision 21, told the inaugural crowd that societies of the 21st century must be "in harmony with women" .  She added that Women's Vision 21 will prepare and implement concrete action plans in preparation for the future in which the women's abilities can be fully expressed and rewarded.  She called for active participation of women who wish to make a difference, to take charge of charting the course for themselves and the society.  As its initial project, Women's Vision 21 will organize a symposium in September on the directions in women's policies for the 21st century.

1998 Second Half Projects

During the second half of 1998, KIWP will hold a Mock World Conference on Women and teaching materials for the education of women leaders for the 21st century.

1.  Mock World Conference on Women

In light of the rapid changes in other sectors of society, the advances made in women's rights and status in Korea have been slow in coming, and there remain numerous obstacles ahead.  Legal and institutional improvements, which have been noticeable, must be followed by real changes in social practices and attitudes.

It cannot be doubted that the United Nations has led the efforts around the world for legal and institutional improvements for women.  A comprehensive understanding of the UN's efforts in this field must form a part of the basis on which further endeavors for women's development can be made.   However, after the 4th World Conference on Women in Beijing, public interest in women's issues has continue to wane in Korea, and young Korean women are increasingly indifferent and apathetic about politics and social leadership, posing a grave threat to the building of a equal society in the 21st century.

Thus, KIWP is organizing a Mock World Conference on Women, modelled after the four rounds of the UN-sponsored global gatherings on women's issues.  The participants, recruited among young women with leadership potential, will be guided through preparatory training and mock meetings, designed to offer them comprehensive knowledge about the workings of the United Nations and women's issues, and an opportunity to experience, albeit in a hypothetical setting, what it means to take part in international conferences.

The Mock World Conference on Women will be staged in November 1998, with some 100 young women undergraduates and graduates, recruited from around the country for their political awareness and interest in global matters.  The key agenda of the mock gathering will be "education and training for women", "women and the environment", and "women in power and decision-making".

2.  Development of Education Materials for Women Leaders

Women's advancement in the political sector requires education and training in politics and electioneering, specialized to meet the needs of women candidates.  Furthermore, systematic efforts must be made to discover and recruit women with the potential for success in public office, and to offer them training and expertise in electoral politics as well as the funds and other resources need to run a campaign.

With such an understanding, KIWP joined forces with the Korean League of Women Voters, the Korean Women and Politics Institute, and the Korean Women's Political League to form the Women's Political Network, with the purpose of combining their resources in training women leaders for the political world.  The Network is currently studying plans to make the training programs more systematic and continuous.

As the first step, the Network has started the work of developing a set of education materials, specifically suited to women aspiring to enter the political sector or otherwise pursue leadership roles.  The work is scheduled to be completed by December. The materials will reflect the changing trends in teaching methods as well as the larger socio-economic environment.  They will be a major contribution of the Network to the goal of strengthening women's political empowerment in Korea.

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Women's Political Participation in Korea

The social status of women is a key measure of the quality of life in today's societies, and women's participation in society is becoming accepted as the global trend and norm.  In particular, women in the political sector are expected to play an determining role the development of nations in the 21st century.  In an age of globalization and information, future prosperity will be guaranteed only to those societies which are able to mobilize the potential and resources that lie within its women.

In Korea, legislative and institutional reforms have steadily been promoted since the early 1980s to erase the traditional barriers against women's social advancement.  Despite the new laws, however, the level of women's political participation in Korea remains at the world's lowest.  Women's groups have exerted a great of effort to expand women's presence in the political sector,  but the results have not been tangible.  The reasons have been many, as are the measures required to overcome the situation.

1.  The Electoral System

The National Assembly is a unicameral legislature of the nation, elected every four years.  There are 299 Members of the National Assembly: 253 Members elected  directly from single-member electoral districts and 46 Members appointed by their parties as proportional representatives.  At the local level, local councils are elected in their entirely directly by voters; the provincial council elections combine the direct balloting in single-member electoral districts and proportional representation.  Party endorsements are allowed in the elections for the National Assembly and provincial councils, but banned for local councils.

2.  The Level of Women's Political Participation

There are 11 women Members in the current 15th National Assembly, which is 3.68% of the total membership of 299: three were elected by voters in electoral districts, and eight are proportional representatives.  The level is even lower for provincial councils (1.6% including proportional representatives) and slightly higher for local councils (5.94%).  Through the June 4 local elections, 41 women were elected to provincial councils, accounting for 5.94% of the total 690.  The previous election in 1995 had produced 5.76%.  Of the 41, only 14 were directly elected by voters, representing a mere 2.27% of the total.  The 27 proportional representatives account for 36.49% of the available slots.  In the local councils, 56 were elected, or just 1.6% of the total 3,490, again representing little progress from the 1.56% of 1995.

3.  Barriers and Cures

The low level of women's political participation in Korea is primarily due to the traditional nature of the society, which continues to regard politics as a realm to be dominated by men.  Secondly, the political parties are not supportive of women candidates.  Thirdly, the electoral system works against women.  Fourth, policies to facilitate women's political participation have been lacking.  Finally, women themselves have been indifferent to politics and naive in their political consciousness.

To overcome these barriers and activital women's role in the political sector, the following conditions must be fostered.  First, a culture of genuine gender equality must be nurtured. Second, the electoral system should be reformed to better represent the voices and aspirations of women.  Third, the political parties should adopt affirmative action measures - quotas and such - to promote women candidates.  Fourth, education programs and political training for women must be expanded.  Fifth, women's organizations should continue to join forces in promoting women into politics and public service.

Principal Aims, Structure, And Activities of KIWP

□ Background

Although the constitution of the Republic of Korea guarantees equal rights for men and women and the nation has been striving for democratic political development, Korean women have been alienated from the political process for a long time.

As a result, many women's issues and concerns have not been given fair representation in Korean politics. And the political development process has suffered from the absence of the valuable contributions of the women who constitute a half of the nation's population.

Korean women believe it is time they should start playing an active role in politics both for themselves and for the society as a whole. In order to expand women's political participation, it is necessary to develop women's leadership, organize women's efforts to solve their own problems and transform them into political issues, and demand changes laws and institutions that presently discriminate against women.

□ Goals of KIWP

The Korean Institute for Women & Politics was established on June 8, 1989 in order to accomplish the following goals:

to promote the political interests and concerns of Korean women,

to cultivate democratic political culture within Korean society,

to carry out research and study to expand women's political participation; and,

to provide education and training programs for prospective women political leaders.

to promote a spirit of cooperation among like-minded people and organizations	around the world.

□ SCOPE OF ACTIVITIES

Conducting research on Korean women's political participation

․research on local community women leaders.

․in-depth studies of previous women politicians.

․survey of voters' attitudes toward women candidates.

Holding conferences and making policy proposals

․presentation of debates, discussions, seminars, and conferences on diverse issues to

stimulate women's political participation and further develop a democratic political

culture.

․formulation of policy proposals affecting women.

Providing education and training programs to expand women's  participation in the legislature

․education and training for prospective women political leaders.

․social education programs and lectures in local communities to promote political

consciousness among women voters.

Publishing reports and materials

․reports on educational seminars and conferences.

․translation and publication of materials on domestic and foreign women political leaders.

․publication of Quarterly Newsletter "Women & Politics"

Promoting international cooperation

․maintaining contacts with organizations outside Korea concerned with women and

politics.

․sharing information on women's issues with international organizations.

Reforms the political culture

․campaigns for women's political participation.

․campaigns for fair election practices.

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Chronology of KIWP Activities

Since its establishment in June 1989, KIWP has held 26 seminars to expand women's participation in politics, provided seven leadership training courses for local women leaders, and sponsored field trips to Taiwan and the U.S. to observe their local and national election. KIWP publishes a quarterly newsletter entitled Women and Politics. It published books entitled Women and Politics and Election Strategies for Women Candidates.

- Seminars

․1998. 7. 7	Women, Politics and Media

․1997.11.19	Presidential Election and Women

․1997. 7. 1        Directions for Come's Policies for National Development in the 21st Century

․1996.12.13	Women and Political Reform

․1996. 7.10	21st Century, Policy Issues for Korean Women and the Role of Women Parliamentarians

․1996. 5.10	The 15th National Assembly Elections and Women's Political Participation

․1995.12.13	Quality of Life in the Asia-Pacific Region and the Role of Women Political Leaders

․1995. 9. 1	The Political Empowerment of Women in East Asia

․1995. 7.13	Social Development & Women's Political Participation in the Asia-Pacific Region

․1995. 6.16	Advancement of Women in the public domain in a period of Localization

․1995. 2. 6	Women's Political Participation, with Focus on the Role of NGOs

․1994. 7.12	Women and Politics in the Asia-Pacific Region

․1993.11. 8	The Role of Korean Women in the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women

․1993. 7.14	Democratic Reforms and Women's Policies in Korea

․1993. 4.28	Women's Political Leadership

․1992. 7.14	The Presidential Election and Women

․1992. 4.27	Women's Political Participation, Prospects and Challenges

․1992. 1.29	Democratic Social Development and Women Voters

․1991.11.12	National Unification and Women in Korea

․1991. 7.13	United Nations and Women's Rights

․1991. 5. 9	What are the Problems with Women's Political Participation?

․1991. 2. 7	Local Election and Women

․1990. 7.12	Women and Politics in the Era of Social Change

․1990. 2. 6	The Role of Women in Korean Political Development I the 1990's

․1989.11. 9	Education and Political Socialization

․1989. 7.14	Women's Political Participation in the Legislature

- Public Lectures

"Green-Round and the Role of Women" (April 21, 1994)

"Economic Reforms and the Status of Women in China" (December 2, 1993)

"The Year of the Women? Understanding the 1992 American Election" (June 23, 1993)

"Women and Presidential Election" (December 10, 1992)

"The Normalization of Korean-Chinese Relations and North Korea" (October 10, 1992)

- Leadership Trainings for Women Political Leaders

(April 15-16, 1998, March 29-30, 1998, February 18-20, 1998,

November 18-19, 1994, October 18-20, 1990, November 9-11, 1989)

- Field Trip & Leadership Training in George Washington University,

Washington D.C., U.S.A. (November 1-10, 1992)

- Excursion to Taiwan for Observation of Taiwanese Local Election

(November 26-December 1, 1989)

- Publications

․Quarterly Newsletter "Women and Politics"

15,000 issues are published quarterly and distributed nationwide to

libraries, women leaders, scholars and experts.

․Books

Women and Politics. Seoul: Korean Institute for Women and Politics 1993. Distributed nationwide to libraries and scholars. At the present time the book is utilized as a textbook in colleges and universities.

The New Election Law and Campaign Strategies for Female Candidates. Seoul: Hanhak Munhwa, 1995. Distributed without charge to current and aspiring women politicians.

Women and Politics II. Seoul: KIWP, 1996. Distributed nationwide to libraries and scholars.  At the present time the book is utilized as a textbook in colleges and universities.