The Association of Women Faculty Societies of Korean National Universities (AWFSKNU) held its annual general meeting and a seminar on January 17th, 2019, at Chungnam National University’s Yeongtab Hall with the senior leadership of women faculty organizations from 14 universities. Diversity Council chair Ki-Sun Hong gave a congratulatory address in which she introduced the history and future of efforts to pass an amendment to the Public Educational Officials Act that would recommend the hiring of more female tenure-track faculty at national universities. The general meeting then proceeded with a report of the AWFSKNU’s activities over the past year, an audit report, and the election and ratification of the university that will supply the organization’s third-ever chairperson. Sungshim Hong, the AWFSKNU’s second chairperson and head of Chungnam National University’s women faculty organization, expressed joy that the AWFSKNU’s membership had grown to 21 universities during her tenure and emphasized the need for even more active solidarity efforts in the future. In her acceptance speech, new AWFSKNU chairperson and head of Kangwon National University’s women faculty organization Yang-suk Gil proposed that women faculty societies need to develop a new agenda in the process of promoting gender equality in universities.

After lunch, the seminar, entitled “The Status of Gender Equality at National Universities as Seen Through the Diversity of University Education”, began. It featured presentations from Seoul National University, Kangwon National University, and Chungnam National University on their women faculty societies and achievements in promoting gender equality. SNU Women’s Faculty Council chair Wha Sook Jeon gave a brief account of the council’s history and introduced its role and policy research with a focus on its main activities over the past year. Yang-suk Gil, head of Kangwon National University’s women faculty organization, discussed its revision of the university’s hiring guidelines to specify an increase in the percentage of women faculty and the system for reducing the teaching load of faculty who are giving birth or taking care of children. Kangwon’s women faculty organization also drew attention with its promotion of joint projects with the Gangwon-do Women's Family Research Institute, an organization external to the university. Finally, Cho Kyung Im, secretary of Chungnam National University’s women faculty organization, presented on how Chungnam had been chosen as the top university in the area of gender equality, as well as the women faculty organization’s achievements and difficulties. In the discussion that followed, participants from the University of Seoul, Jeju National University, Gyeongsang National University, Korea National Sport University, Korea Maritime and Ocean University, and others discussed the percentage of female faculty, the status of women faculty organizations, and these organizations’ efforts at their institutions.