[W Frontier] Park Sung-hee, Director General of the Ministry of Employment and Labor, Shares Her Life Mentor

Former Deputy Minister of Employment No Min-gi, My First Boss
Also Accepted the Stubbornness of a Rookie Who Said "I Can't Sign"
"Learn the Attitude During Negotiations"

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyun-jung] In 1992, when Park Seong-hee, then a rookie civil servant, took her first step into the public service, she met a life mentor. It was No Min-gi, former Vice Minister of Employment and Labor (then a section chief), who listened attentively even to the stubbornness of a far junior junior.

The story behind how former Vice Minister No became not just a passing 'senior' but a deeply rooted 'mentor' during Park’s career is as follows. When reviewing a proposal in the department, Park, a novice administrative officer, stood firm saying, "I cannot sign because I do not agree." Ultimately, the approval line, which had to reach the minister, was still far ahead, but absurdly, the procedure stopped in front of the junior. Any ordinary 'senior' would have scolded her, but the 'mentor' did not. Instead, he left the administrative officer’s signature blank and first signed as the section chief. From a grudging perspective, it was a matter of putting down senior pride. Especially in the civil service. After signing, the mentor sat the junior down and said:

"When you clash with other civil servants or other ministries during work consultations, you should fiercely assert your position, but never forget that there are various aspects and side effects. Not only I, but other civil servants and ministries also present results based on their own logic thinking about the public interest."

Park recalled, "I learned deeply and broadly, moment by moment, the attitude of respecting the opinions of newcomers and the posture during consultations, and I have carried that learning throughout my life," adding, "I also try hard to do the same for my juniors."

While nowadays the trend is to focus on self-development rather than finding a mentor, Park still preaches the importance of seniors to her juniors. She said, "When probationary administrative officers join, they often ask for advice on which department to go to, and I often say that people are more important than the work," adding, "Every department and every task has meaning and lessons, but who you work under as a section chief can influence much more than that." She especially emphasized, "The 'beginning' is very important not only in terms of skills but also in terms of values."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.