GUNSAN -- Hundreds of Korean female leaders in various fields at home and abroad gathered in Seoul on Wednesday to discuss women's empowerment and changing roles in an age marked by disruptive technological transformation.

The 17th annual Korean Women's International Network, organized by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, opened at the Gunsan Convention Center in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, some 270 kilometers south of Seoul.

More than 600 women leaders from 32 countries who are credited with spearheading their own professional fields and being exemplary role models were invited to the two-day event.
 

Through various sessions and round tables, participants will discuss issues regarding gender implications in the age of the "fourth industrial revolution" and means to better nurture a stronger female workforce in a changing economy.

"Women's distinct sensibility and empathy could play a key role in opening a new age when appropriately combined with the country's strength in the area of information and communication technology," Gender Equality Minister Chung Hyun-back said in an opening speech.

Some notable attendees include Myong Chung, fellow engineer at the American aerospace and defense technology firm Northrop Grumman; Nam Myung-ho, medical director at the nonprofit Inova Health System in the US; and Hyeryun Lee Park, head of Lotus Lantern Books.

Launched in 2001, KOWIN is designed to raise national competitiveness and development by bolstering solidarity and exchanges between women leaders at home and abroad. Next year's gathering will be held in Sokcho, Gangwon Province. (Yonhap)