- 26 - teaching profession, particularly where the prohibition does not apply to other groups, including workers in the defence industry. Similarly, the regulations concerning the right to strike are excessively restrictive and would appear to leave to the authorities an almost absolute discretion in the determination of the legality of incidents of industrial action. While acknowledging the cultural traditions of the Republic of Korea, including the high esteem in which teachers are held, the Committee finds this to be a wholly unacceptable basis on which to defend the excessive limitation on the freedom of significant sectors of the Korean society to enjoy the basic right to belong to unions of their choice. 72. The Committee is also greatly disturbed by reports of dismissals for engaging in industrial action and of police attacks on trade unionists engaged in peaceful activities. 73. Despite the Government’s stated policy and its range of special programmes, the Committee views the situation of women in Korean society as very unsatisfactory. In all areas of life women suffer from discriminatory practices due to many factors, including long-standing cultural prejudice. In the home, the subjugation of women is evidenced by the very high levels of domestic violence against them disclosed in the Government’s report. Notice is also taken of such anachronistic rules as the legal inability of a woman in certain cases to vest her nationality in her child. In education, the disparities between the percentages of boys and girls in second- and thirdlevel institutions are disturbing. In this regard, the Committee observes that the lack of access to and high cost of secondary and higher education contribute to the low rate of female participation. 74. Particular concern is expressed as to the wage differential between men and women and to other discriminatory practices in the workplace, including an apparently high rate of sexual discrimination in recruitment. The Committee expresses its concern with regard to the non-enforcement by the Government of its own policies and legislation in these matters. 75. The Committee is alarmed that there has been a relatively high incidence of accidents in the workplace in the Republic of Korea and that there has been a failure to address the problem adequately. It is especially disturbing that various workplace regulations do not apply to enterprises with fewer than 10 employees. The failure of minimum-wage regulations to extend to staff of these enterprises is to be regretted and the Committee welcomes the Government’s stated intention to review the situation. The conditions and treatment of non-nationals in the Korean workforce give cause for concern and the information made available to the Committee by the Government does not disclose an adequate range of legal measures to protect such workers. 76. The Committee is disturbed by a range of features of the Korean education system. Only primary education is provided free of charge. However, given the strength of the Korean economy it appears appropriate that free education should also extend to the secondary and higher sectors. The Committee also notes the acknowledgement made orally by the Government’s representative that there is a severe problem of undersupply of places in higher education resulting in extremely competitive entry requirements. One consequence of this situation is that private institutions are likely to raise their charges and thus force the children of lower-income groups to stay out of the system.