For the last ten years, the participation rate of Korean women workers in the labor market has increased due to the economic development of Korea and raised women's awareness. However, their employment status has worsened. Women workers are employed mainly in service industries as irregular workers, day workers and dispatch workers rather than regular workers. More and more women workers are employed in the informal sector and their legal protection has been ignored.

Those who work at companies with less than 10 workers account for 63% of the total number of Korean women workers. Women employed on an irregular basis such as temporary and day workers account for 70.4% (according to official statistics in January 2000). This has become the largest obstacle to organizing women workers. The ratio of organized Korean women workers has continued to decrease and now it dropped to 5.6 % in 1997 while 11.1% in 1987.

Korea generally has enterprise-based unions, which means that only one trade union is allowed in a company. Because of this, unions are set up primarily in large companies that employ more than 300 workers. Therefore, it is extremely difficult for workers employed at small businesses of fewer than 10 workers to organize trade unions. As a result, women workers at small businesses, 63 % out of the total Korean women workers, are not organized by trade unions.

Today, two out of every three women workers are irregular workers (accounting for 70.4%). However, Korean trade unions are dominated by regular male workers and trade unions for irregular workers are rarely set up. Furthermore, trade unions focusing on regular workers do not intend to organize irregular workers in the same workplace. Due to this situation, it is inevitable for Korean women workers to establish their own trade union and become union members. During the economic crisis, Korean women have become irregular workers regardless of their industry or occupation.

2. Purpose of Korean Women's Trade Union

Korean Women's Trade Union (KWTU) aims to unite women workers and achieve their rights to work. In order to succeed this, we at KWTU strive to organize a trans-enterprise-based trade union and to increase our membership, regardless of occupation or industry. Our goal is to overcome the limit of the existing Korean trade union system under in which it is not easy for women workers to join trade unions.

Secondly, Korean economy has developed at the basis of women-concentrated industries. Women provided cheap labor to be dismissed in the process of industrial restructuring. Under the financial crisis, Korean women workers have been forced to make another sacrifice by becoming irregular workers. KWTU attempts to organize irregular women workers and represent their rights and interests.

Third, we strive to eliminate difficulties and hardships women workers are facing at home and work, and to improve their unequal status in society. We attempt to develop good models suitable for women workers and promote their self-esteem.

Fourth, we attempt to overcome the male-dominated and male-centered atmosphere strongly existing within Korean trade unions and develop women's leadership to achieve gender equality in society. Women workers' problems can be solved adequately when they organize and fight for themselves. Through this, women workers leadership can be developed.