INTERVIEW'More women needed and awaited in Korea's field of science, technology'

• Published date: 07 March 2023
• Publication title: The Korea Times

Choi Kyung-sun, 46, the APAC product engineering leader at 3M Innovation Center's personal safety division, said that she believed she was lucky for never experiencing serious gender discrimination during her life so far, from studying chemistry at Chung-Ang University to developing her career at the U.S.-based multinational company.

However, upon looking back on the male-dominated field, she is now questioning her assessment. In those days, her class had only one woman professor and one-third of the students were women. Most of the decision-makers and those in top positions she worked with were men, but she didn't find it strange at the time.

"Maybe I was well-accustomed to gender discrimination, which may have made me blind to it," Choi said. "However, being unable to recognize a problem as a problem is a bigger problem."

On the other hand, Lee Ye-reen, a 24-year-old student majoring in environmental science and engineering at Ewha Womans University, comprises the new generation of women in the field of Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) who is used to seeing women among her peers, where men used to be a dominant force. She is also more conscious of gender discrimination.

"All my peers, seniors and professors are women, so I was able to become more aware of the male dominance in the field," Lee said. She said she chose the women's university in search of a stronger female career network and often discusses gender discrimination within and outside the field with her friends.

Choi and Lee first met each other last July at the second edition of the annual global mentoring program organized by 3M Korea and the Korea Foundation for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology (WISET), a public institution under the Ministry of Science and ICT. The program aims to support and celebrate women's presence and engagement in STEM and build a network of women scientists and university students.

Throughout the program, Choi and a couple of 3M's senior female engineers shared insights from their professional journey and education as female scientists and engineers with Lee and 14 other university student mentees. The mentor's 5-month guidance broadened Lee's perspective and helped her better understand her aptitude, encouraging her to dig into the fields of environment, health and safety...