Park pledges to rev up efforts for gender equality

President Park Geun-hye on Monday pledged to rev up efforts to realize gender equality to help women reach their "full potential" at their workplaces, saying such efforts would determine national competitiveness.

In a video message for an event marking Gender Equality Week, which runs until Thursday, women's participation in the workforce is crucial for the country's economy to make another "leap" forward.

"Realizing gender equality in tune with global standards is becoming a core (policy) task that determines national competitiveness," she said. "We all should work together to have the culture of gender equality take firmer root in our society."

President Park Geun-hye speaks during a luncheon with leaders of the conservative civic group, the Korea Freedom Federation, on July 4, 2016. (Yonhap)

Since taking office in 2013, her government has prioritized promoting gender equality and helping workers maintain work-family balance through a set of policy initiatives including an after-school childcare program.

The initiatives also include a flextime system under which workers flexibly decide their work schedules to spend more time with their families.

Gender Equality Week has been observed since last year following a revision to the Framework Act on Women's Development.

Before the revision, the week was called "Women's Week" in line with the act, which was first enacted in 1995. (Yonhap)