In this talk, Jay Euijung Lee will explore how political parties in South Korea responded to gender quotas in municipal councils — a setting that included almost no women before the policy. Leveraging a unique feature where the quota applied to only one of two election arms, she shows how parties initially resisted by nominating fewer women in the unregulated arm but later reversed course as exposure to competent female leaders challenged their beliefs. The findings highlight how gender quotas not only increase female representation but also reshape perceptions of their competence. Yeilim Cheong of the University of Missouri will offer remarks, and Jungmin Lee of Seoul National University will moderate.