[W Frontier] "I Must Let Go of the Burden of Being a Female Leader... It's Time to Be Free Now"

Park Sung-hee, Director of Planning and Coordination at the Ministry of Employment and Labor
"There is no separate successful leadership... You must break free from all frameworks"
"Think of juniors who don't work or perform poorly as if making your spouse do the dishes"
"The toughest period is in your 30s... You must learn to take better care of yourself"

Sunghee Park, Director of Planning and Coordination Office, Ministry of Employment and Labor

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] "Now is the time. The time to be free from all prejudices."

Park Seonghee, Director General of the Planning and Coordination Office at the Ministry of Employment and Labor, is probably one of the people in South Korea who has thought most deeply about 'women's work.' She holds the highest position as a woman in the ministry responsible for employment gender discrimination and wage gaps. By next year, she will have worked at the Ministry of Employment and Labor for 30 years. During the interview, Director Park repeatedly said, "Now is the time." The time when women are liberated from all prejudices and stereotypes, and from the frameworks they themselves assumed as answers. So, it is exactly the time when such words do not need to be taken as grand advice.

◆ The Era of 'Leadership in My Own Way' = Director Park’s father was a public official at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and her mother was a teacher. She did not hesitate to reveal her starting story, saying she was drawn to public service work with a sense of pride and job stability, joking that "the blood of a public official runs in me." She neither aimed nor expected to be in this position for nearly 30 years. As she put it, she "came this far by going with the flow," but despite that, she is quite popular among her juniors. According to those around her, professional expertise is a given, and her straightforward personality and genuine desire to help juniors are well known. Director Park is not the Joan of Arc type who rallies female juniors with "Let's go there together like this!" Rather, she emphasizes 'leadership in my own way,' working according to each person's capabilities and style.

"Generally, until now, women have often imitated rough and coarse so-called masculine leadership to conform, or pursued motherly leadership that embraces with kindness. But isn’t that also a complex? Now, there is no fixed mold. It is necessary to do it in my own style."

She also said the burden of representing women in this position must be shed. She said, "I too have experienced in the past the consciousness of representing women, always producing good results, never missing any position, and enduring not to be told 'because you are a woman,'" and emphasized, "Rather, I should focus on and spend time developing the good capabilities I have."

◆ A Boss Is Not One Who Just Gives Orders... 'Complementary' Skills Are Essential = Now, on the verge of 30 years of service, Director Park realizes that she has not had many bosses. Besides having more responsibilities, she tries not to divide work areas with juniors. She believes her role is to entrust tasks that juniors can do well and to fill in the gaps where they are lacking.

For example, when establishing a comprehensive pan-government plan, the Ministry of Employment and Labor may be less familiar with finance or taxation-related tasks. A proper boss does not just wave a baton but studies the area themselves and recruits experts who can explain to the staff. Director Park explained, "The basic idea is that there is no relationship where one side just gives orders and the other just follows," adding, "Not all superiors know everything, nor are they always right."

How should a leader lead a team member who is obviously lazy and falling behind? Director Park advised, "Think of it as asking a spouse unfamiliar with housework to do the dishes." She said, "If you scold with emotion or nag about details like how wet it is or if there is chili powder left, the other person will soon take off the rubber gloves and go astray," and added, "It is necessary to dryly remind the principles and endure and overlook poor performance for a while." However, it is also Director Park’s experience that everyone has their own capabilities. Complementing and filling those is the superior’s role and directly linked to performance.

◆ No Time? That Means No Will = Looking back, the toughest time was in her 30s. Balancing work and family was impossible. Her children were at the age requiring the most care (Director Park has two sons), and the burden of tasks on the couple was heavier than ever. There was no financial comfort yet, and the focus was on work. Whenever she felt frustrated, Director Park endured the crisis by becoming a little more shameless. "Be thankful to yourself for having a capable mother." This phrase she said to her child was actually a comforting spell for herself.

She advises juniors to take care of themselves especially during difficult times. She said, "It is okay to set up the surrounding conditions such as the distance between work and home, and the degree of care, 'to be convenient for me,'" and emphasized, "If there are unchangeable prejudices or roles, the rest can be thought of centered on myself." She also urged taking care of health and hobbies. Director Park explained, "After turning forty, various clues to solutions and new doors open," and added, "You must not have physically collapsed by then to seize the next opportunity." She especially said, "I looked for gyms and Pilates studios open until midnight, and watched musicals from the very last seat on the third floor," and pointed out, "People say they have no time, but time is made. What is lacking is the will."

[Profile of Park Seonghee, Director General of the Planning and Coordination Office, Ministry of Employment and Labor]

▲ Yonsei University, Department of Sociology ▲ Yonsei University Graduate School, Master’s (Law) ▲ Duke University Graduate School, Master’s (Economic Development) ▲ Dankook University Graduate School, Ph.D. (Labor Law)

▲ 1992 Appointed Administrative Officer (35th Administrative Examination) ▲ 2005 Head of Employment Strategy Team ▲ 2006 Head of Social Service Job Policy Team ▲ 2007 Head of Wage and Working Hours Policy Team ▲ 2008 Director of Vocational Competency Policy Division ▲ 2009 Administrative Officer, Presidential Secretariat (Employment and Labor Secretary) ▲ 2010 Administrative Officer, Presidential Office (Senior Secretary for Employment and Welfare) ▲ 2011 Legal Officer for Regulatory Reform ▲ 2012 Director of Vocational Competency Policy Bureau ▲ 2013 Spokesperson ▲ 2015 Director of International Cooperation ▲ 2016 Director of Aging Society Workforce Policy Bureau ▲ 2017 Director of Labor Market Policy Bureau ▲ 2019 Chairperson of Seoul Regional Labor Relations Commission ▲ 2020 Director General of Planning and Coordination Office

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