Na Kyung-won on Yoon's Personnel: "Women Should Be Core, Not Just for Show"

On the 11th, expressed opinions through personal Facebook
Also introduced anecdotes from the Davos Forum

Na Kyung-won, the special envoy to the Davos Forum, is speaking at the World Economic Forum (WEF) held in Davos, Switzerland, on the 26th of last month (local time). (Photo by Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Kum Bo-ryeong] Former People Power Party lawmaker Na Kyung-won expressed her stance on the personnel controversies of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration on the 11th, saying, "I hope women will play a role at the core of real decision-making, not just as a token presence."

On the same day, through her Facebook, former lawmaker Na stated, "The Yoon Seok-yeol administration was indifferent to criticism that it was initially Seo-o-nam (Seoul National University graduate, over 50, male), but suddenly increased the proportion of women in the cabinet and other positions in response to a Washington Post (WP) reporter's question. That is fortunate," she said.

Former lawmaker Na said, "As the first female chairperson of the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee and the first female floor leader of a conservative party, the word 'first' has always been a whip that disciplined me," adding, "I feel a sense of mission to pave a new path for the junior women who come after me. Blah blah, so that not all women are stigmatized with 'that's why women can't do it.'"

Along with this, former lawmaker Na also shared an anecdote from when she attended the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting (Davos Forum) as a special presidential envoy. She explained, "Maybe because I am a woman? I can say that everyone I met in Davos was a woman," and added, "Among them, some became very close to me personally through several meetings. The commonality of being women means sharing the hardships embedded in our lives, the fierce determination to overcome them, and the complementary details and warmth." It is known that former lawmaker Na met Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission (EU), and Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank, at the Davos Forum.

Former lawmaker Na also mentioned that she was asked during the Davos media briefing, "I heard Korea does not appoint women to high-ranking positions." To this, she replied, "My answer is 'That is why I am here.'"

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