Women in Seoul who return to work after career breaks for pregnancy, childbirth, or caregiving face a steep “motherhood penalty,” as they are more likely than men to start new jobs with lower pay and after a longer job search, a report showed Sunday. According to a report released by the Seoul Foundation of Women & Family, 42.5 percent of women who took a career break and later found a new job saw their wages fall compared with their previous positions. In contrast, only 25 percent of men in the same situation reported earning less. The analysis is based on a survey of 2,754 employed Seoul residents aged 19 to 64. The time it took to find employment was equally stark. Women spent an average of 48.4 months securing a new job after a care-related break, more than double the 20.4 months recorded for men. Researchers noted that these breaks result in long-term career interruptions for women, cementing gender gaps in both pay and job stability. A notable finding in the report is the perceived improvement in work-life balance. While 32.2 percent of women said their work-life balance improv