South Korea Shuns Moms at Peril as Workforce Shrinks

At a job interview for Starbucks Coffee Korea Co., Jeong Eun Suk watched two women break down in tears of joy at being given the chance to work. They had quit to raise children, a path in South Korea from which there are few ways back.

“People were really emotional,” said Jeong, 34, a mother of two. “There really aren’t many jobs that women can return to after giving birth.”