Abstract
The under-representation of women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields has long been an economic and societal concern. Recent findings reveal that gender differences in STEM interest begin to emerge as early as secondary education, often manifesting in course choices that shape academic trajectories and contribute to the gender disparity in STEM major and career choices. Using data from Korea, where curriculum tracking occurs during secondary education, this paper provides evidence of a significant gender disparity in the intention to pursue STEM majors among 9th-grade students, with boys 6.4 percentage points more likely than girls to aspire to STEM majors. The primary factor contributing to this gap is differences in preferences, which, when accounted for, reduce the gap to a statistically insignificant 1.7 percentage points. This paper also finds gendered response to academic performance, with high-performing boys significantly more likely to pursue STEM, whereas high-performing girls do not show the same inclination. Hypotheses such as comparative advantage and self-efficacy are explored; however, neither fully accounts for the peculiar pattern observed among high-performing girls, many of whom remain undecided. This suggests the presence of unobserved factors, such as social norms or attitudes toward risk or competition. Lastly, the significant impact of 9th-grade intentions on subsequent academic trajectories highlights the critical importance of early academic preferences and underscores the need for timely interventions prior to pivotal educational decisions.
Does School Autonomy Matter? Evidence from Seoul's Autonomous Schools? (with Jungmin Lee and Yoonsoo Park)
Abstract
Schools are heavily regulated in many countries. Advocates of school autonomy argue that granting autonomy to individual schools can improve student outcomes. We estimate the causal effects of school autonomy on students' academic achievement and learning environments. We exploit that admissions to autonomous schools are randomly determined among applicants by lottery in Seoul, South Korea. The results reveal significant differences between private and public autonomous schools. Specifically, private autonomous schools provide better learning environments, resulting in higher academic outcomes as measured by standardized test scores. In contrast, public autonomous schools exhibit no significant effects or even negative effects on student outcomes. These findings suggest that autonomy alone is not sufficient for schools to deliver better education, at least in terms of improving academic outcomes.
Abstract
This study investigates the gender gap in working hours in Korea, focusing on recent trends and contributing factors. Using data from the Labor Conditions by Employment Type (LCET) survey from 2009 to 2019, the study reveals that while overall working hours have decreased for both men and women, the gender gap in working hours has significantly widened. The analysis employs Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition to explore the extent to which observed characteristics explain this gap. Findings indicate that recent gender gap in working hours is increasingly explained by the difference in observed characteristics. Differences in employment status, occupational choices, and industry distribution are significant contributors to the gender gap, with employment status and occupational choices playing major roles. The results suggest that as working hours decrease, more women enter the labor force, often selecting occupations with fewer hours, thus widening the gender gap. These insights have implications for understanding women's labor supply decisions and addressing gender wage disparities in Korea's labor market.
Gender Gap in Innovation
Impact of Working Hours on Occupational Choice for Women
Digitalization of SMEs
Korean Labor Economic Association Summer Conference, 2025
Korean Labor Economic Association Summer Conference, 2024
Korean Labor Economic Association Summer Conference, 2023
Seoul National University-University of Chicago Summer School (poster session), 2023
Seoul National University Applied Microeconomics Brown Bag Seminar, 2023
Korea’s Allied Economic Associations Annual Meeting, 2023
Asian and Australasian Society of Labour Economics, 2022
BK21 Korea University Graduate Student Seminar, 2022
Korea Economic Associations International Conference, 2022
Seoul National University Applied Microeconomics Brown Bag Seminar, 2022
Asian and Australasian Society of Labour Economics, 2018
Fukuoka Game Theory Workshop, 2018
AEARU Workshop on R&D Policy and Asian Research Universities, 2018
Income-led growth and Inclusive growth agenda (Prof. In Ho Lee)
Social Welfare and Fiscal Stability in Korea (Prof. Sungjin Kim)