Hwang Bo-ram: The First Mother To Play For South Korea At World Cup

Defender Hwang Bo-ram takes to the field in France next month, thus taking a step forward towards becoming the first mother to play for South Korea at the Women's World Cup. Her homeland has strict restrictions over motherhood and sports, but Hwang is challenging the norms.

South Korea, Asia's fourth biggest economy, remains strong in the ranks of the gender pay gap which is higher than ever. They promote patriarchy and after a woman is married or has a child, a woman has to fight hard to maintain a career. Hwang is the only wedded woman in the football squad and its oldest member at 31.

The country's gender pay gap is the highest among developed economies, with working women making only 63% of what men earn.

Hwang is married to Lee Du-hee with a daughter named Bom who was born 14 months ago. Hwang was expected to return to the WK League, South Korea's top-tier women's football competition. This league is famous for its last record holder - a mother - now retired – who had played before. After her club Hwacheon KSPO restored her to the side in December, she kick-started her national team comeback in April and this month she was named for the World Cup squad.

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“Training has been very hard since having a child,” Hwang said before leaving for pre-tournament camp in Sweden, Channel News Asia reported. “Because I have to set a good example,” she claimed.

“I didn't want to hear people say 'She's had a baby', or 'She's too old to play now',” she told reporters. “So I made no excuses, hid my emotions and trained harder.”

“As a professional athlete, not having played the sport for almost two years is a huge challenge even for those who did not go through pregnancy and childbirth,” her husband Lee said.

“She was under a lot of pressure because obviously your body isn't the same when you have a baby. She wasn't sure - while doing her very best - if she would be able to play football the way she did pre-baby,” he added.

But Hwacheon KSPO's head coach Kang Jae-soon said he wasn't surprised she had made it back into the national team. “She's got the speed, strength and determination like no other. And now she is also one of the most experienced players in the league,” he expressed.

The Korea Football Association reportedly said that “male players bring much more money to the association.”

“The significance of Hwang being the first mother to compete in the World Cup isn't just limited to South Korea's football history,” said Choi Dong-ho, director of the Center for Sports Culture research group.

South Korea's patriarchal aspects affect economy class including its job market, where 82% of married men are employed compared to only 53% of married women

“This is such a meaningful achievement for South Korean society as a whole, where many women struggle to return to or find work after having children,” he said.

Hwang's husband promotes equality at home, takes care of their daughter while his wife trains away from home, and said to be doing same so for the World Cup. “I burst into tears when I first heard that Bo-ram made to the national team,” he said.

“I knew how hard she worked despite all the challenges. I can't describe how much respect I have for my wife.”

Feature Image Credit: AFP/Jung Yeon-je

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