Minister Kang Kyung-wha: "Sometimes I feel 'Is it because I am a woman?' in a male-centered culture"

"Striving as a Female Minister, but Questioning Whether It Is Accepted in a Male-Dominated Culture"
"Even in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Women Will Become the Majority Over Time... It Won't Take Long"
"Due to COVID-19, Prejudice, Hatred, and Discrimination... Efforts to Understand and Consider Each Other Must Come First"
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Holds 'Future Dialogue for Global Innovation' Forum

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha once questioned herself whether she was accepted in the male-dominated organizational culture as a female minister, and she stated that as time passes and women become the majority, that culture will change significantly.

On the 16th, Minister Kang made these remarks during the 'Future Dialogue for Global Innovation' held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with the broadcaster tvN, under the theme 'Corona Divide: Beyond Boundaries,' responding to the diagnosis by Jared Diamond, a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), who said, "Among Korea's intrinsic crisis factors, women's issues are a chronic crisis."

Minister Kang said, "As the first female foreign minister holding such a heavy responsibility, I try my best, but there are times when I feel, 'Is this because I am a woman?'" She added, "There are moments when I question myself whether I am truly accepted in a male-centered culture."

She continued, "Whenever that happens, I just do my best in my work, and when I go to bed at night, if I can comfortably answer the question, 'Did I complete what I needed to do today?' then I sleep well and prepare for the next day."

She also predicted that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' organization will change significantly as time passes and women become the majority. Minister Kang said, "Even in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, women are rare at the executive level but are the majority at the junior level," adding, "As time goes by, inevitably women will become the majority and much will change. Although I think it won't take long, the low birthrate issue cannot be solved by that alone."

In the video dialogue with Minister Kang, Professor Diamond quoted a female scholar who invited him to Korea in the 1990s, saying, "Outstanding and capable women do not marry, and married women say their husbands do not recognize them," emphasizing, "This is a chronic crisis, and when women are given greater roles, Korean society can develop further."

In response, Minister Kang said, "This is a problem that the current and previous governments have tried to solve, but a definite countermeasure has not yet emerged," adding, "I think this is an issue that must be considered and pondered more seriously in the face of crisis."

Earlier, in her keynote speech at the forum, Minister Kang emphasized the need for efforts in communication and solidarity to overcome hatred, discrimination, and deglobalization phenomena arising from the COVID-19 situation.

Minister Kang explained, "COVID-19 threatens the values of openness and solidarity that nurture humanity," adding, "With a sharp decline in human exchanges between countries, the trend of deglobalization is accelerating, and internally, everyday solidarity seems to be weakening." She expressed concern that "COVID-19 is not only a threat to health but has become a virus of fear, hatred, and discrimination that is damaging people's minds."

She stressed that to overcome the COVID-19 crisis, attitudes of exclusion and hostility must be abandoned, and efforts to understand and consider each other should come first. Minister Kang said, "The cross-border spread of COVID-19 between countries clearly shows that humanity is truly a community of life," adding, "It cannot be overcome by the efforts of an individual, a society, or a single country alone. To overcome the crisis, attitudes of exclusion and hostility must be abandoned, and efforts to understand and consider each other should come first, which will be possible through continuous communication and exchange."

Minister Kang focused on the possibility of genuine solidarity mediated by culture. Citing the BTS online concert as an example, she said, "Cultural experiences appeal to the essential part of humanity regardless of which group one belongs to, enabling mutual understanding," and mentioned, "Although face-to-face exchanges are difficult, the rapidly spreading online space has made simultaneous empathy among many people possible."

She added, "Shared cultural experiences expand human interaction and empathy and play a great role in creating a world that overcomes discrimination and hatred," concluding, "True healing will only be achieved when the thick psychological barriers built up due to COVID-19 are broken down."

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