[Power K-Women] What Pierced Through Life Is 'Challenge'... Hwang Jeong-a "Love Your Own Work"

Assemblywoman Hwang Jeong-a: "Life is about facing challenges head-on when times are tough"
"Those who endure win... Both science and politics require perseverance"
A nation where children dreaming of becoming scientists do not hesitate
"Love your work and strive to repay the trust placed in you"

There is a woman whose life has been marked by challenges. Coming from a modest family background where her parents struggled to focus on their children’s education, the child who wanted to move to a big city devoted herself to studying and was admitted to a science high school. Upon entering KAIST, she chose physics as her major, the subject she found hardest to excel in during high school. Not only was she hurt by her poor grades, but she was also drawn to the challenge of a difficult field that many avoided. She decided to specialize in astrophysics, a relatively unfamiliar major in Korea. Since it involves physically building devices like satellites, which requires handling heavy equipment and considerable physical strength, it remains a field that women tend to avoid. Nevertheless, she took on the challenge. The result was the satellites she helped launch into space. In 2003, she sent Korea’s first science and technology satellite, 'Uri Byul 4,' into orbit, and last year, the ultra-small satellite 'Doyosat' aboard the Nuri rocket. This woman who has repeatedly taken on challenges is Hwang Jeong-ah, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea.

"People in STEM live on their pride," said Representative Hwang in an interview with Asia Economy on the 27th. "Last year, I witnessed firsthand how researchers stopped working due to budget cuts in research and development (R&D) under the Yoon Seok-yeol administration. To revive the broken spirit of scientists and create a better research ecosystem, I thought I needed to move to a bigger stage." After receiving an offer to enter politics, Hwang deliberated for two months before joining the Democratic Party as its sixth recruited talent. In the 22nd National Assembly, she defeated Lee Sang-min, a former People Power Party lawmaker who had served five terms in Daejeon’s Yuseong District. As soon as the National Assembly convened on the 30th of last month, Hwang took the lead in proposing the 'National R&D System Reconstruction Three Acts,' which aims to invest 5% of the national budget in R&D. "I have prepared for this a hundred times. I will continue until the bill passes," she emphasized.

- You boast a brilliant career that makes it seem like you have lived a smooth life.

▲ Some people say I have had a 'winning streak,' but I have never thought that way. My parents worked continuously because our family was not well off, and my grandparents raised me. I never once heard them say, "Study hard," as education was not a priority in our environment. In that situation, entering a science high school was about being a student who liked studying and being in a scholarly atmosphere with good teachers. The same goes for KAIST. It was an environment where people who love studying could focus without any distractions. Above all, it didn’t cost much. There was no tuition fee per semester, only about 500,000 won for the student council fee. My mother joked, "I didn’t exactly not help at all," but the biggest attraction of KAIST was that it didn’t cost much.

The same applies to physics. When I chose physics as my major at KAIST, people around me tried to dissuade me. "Do you even know what you’re getting into?" They meant it was extremely difficult to study. But physics is at the core of many scientific fields. Without mastering the basics, you cannot build anything else. More importantly, physics was the subject I scored worst in during high school. I was hurt by my poor grades, and that feeling led me to choose physics as my major. In this way, I think my entire life has been about challenging and overcoming rare things that others want to avoid.

On the 24th, Hwang Jeong-ah, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, said in an Asia Economy Power K-Women interview held at the National Assembly Members' Office Building in Yeouido, Seoul, "Challenge yourself persistently with the determination to repeat countless times," adding, "I must love my work first." Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

- In fact, not all challenges must have led to success. Do you have any secrets?

▲ That’s an important point. But there’s nothing special. I just believe that those who endure win. When I entered the physics department in my sophomore year, we started with 60 students, but only 20 graduated. These were the best students from all over the country, so it was a blow to my pride. The way to win is to keep going steadily and repeatedly. In that sense, science is similar. A scientist’s life is about failing every day. You have to accept failure well and strive to fail better. You also need the confidence to repeat the same experiment continuously for four years.

- You describe your childhood self as a 'timid child.'

▲ I was really timid. Throughout elementary school, I never initiated conversations with anyone. If you look at me now, you’d think I’m an extrovert. But even now, if I take the MBTI personality test, I score 51% extroverted and 49% introverted. You could say I’m working hard on it.

What changed my timid personality was 'praise.' I remember my homeroom teacher in fourth grade. Because I was always shy and couldn’t make eye contact, she encouraged me to participate in a speech contest. Standing in front of the entire school to present was terrifying. But thanks to the teacher’s trust, I won an award. And with praise from the teacher and those around me, my confidence definitely grew. I thought I had to do better, and a virtuous cycle began. I believe it’s really important to give a lot of praise during adolescence.

On the 24th, Hwang Jeong-a, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, said in an Asia Economy Power K-Women interview held at the National Assembly Members' Office Building in Yeouido, Seoul, "Challenge yourself persistently with the determination to repeat countless times," adding, "I must love my work first." Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

- You have entered politics. How does it differ from your life as a scientist?

▲ When scientists continue to study the universe, they realize they are just a tiny part of it. Sometimes, interpersonal conflicts that happen in a fleeting moment seem trivial. You learn not to be swayed by anything.

However, as a politician, I have had many opportunities to listen to the problems people face. For example, those who have been victims of lease fraud or residents suffering from unfair treatment by construction companies. For them, those problems are like a small universe. If unresolved, it can be a huge part of their lives, making the future seem bleak. Until now, I thought the laboratory was the whole world, but I didn’t realize how vast the world outside the lab is. I am grateful that a whole universe is approaching me.

- Have you faced difficulties continuing your career as a woman?

▲ I am a mother of three children. Naturally, I have experienced the problems that all working couples face. In Korea, additional help is essential for childcare. Even then, you usually have to rely on another woman, like a mother-in-law or your own mother. Thankfully, my mother-in-law helped with childcare at home. But when even that help was difficult, I often had to leave work to check on my children. I once left in the middle of a research seminar to pick up my child from kindergarten. I was talking with a guest from abroad, but I had no choice.

Moreover, it affects your career. Returning after childbirth is challenging. For example, research positions cannot afford to take a year or more off. Researchers must continuously communicate with domestic and international colleagues and keep their research up to date, but childbirth and childcare interrupt that. If someone replaces you, they take your achievements. You lose your career. Ultimately, public systems that support childcare are necessary even without strong willpower. If parents lack resources, there must be a national system to care for children until late hours. Also, society must accept men taking parental leave or briefly stepping out for childcare. Both men and women must share equal responsibility for childcare.

On the 24th, Hwang Jeong-ah, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, said in an Asia Economy Power K-Women interview held at the National Assembly Members' Office Building in Yeouido, Seoul, "Be prepared to persistently challenge yourself with unwavering determination," adding, "I must first love my own work." Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

- Do you have goals as a politician?

▲ I want to create a country where children dreaming of becoming scientists do not hesitate. Smart students in science or gifted high schools ask me, "I want to study physics, but everyone tells me not to choose physics." In Korea, if the top student chooses physics, people say they are crazy. They think you should obviously go to Seoul National University’s medical school. I hope Korea becomes a scientific powerhouse. I hope the stepping stone I laid can go a little further, and I believe what I am doing now is meaningful.

Before coming to the National Assembly, I worked hard to enact the Act on Safety Management of Radiation around Living Areas. It took nearly 10 years from 2007 to make it effective. I think it took so long because no lawmaker consistently cared about the issue. There were no politicians willing to work on it. I am a politician full of will to get things done. I will push things forward quickly no matter what.

- Do you have any advice for the many women who look up to you as a mentor?

▲ I tell my female colleagues and seniors and juniors to 'love your work.' If you don’t love your work, neither your husband nor your mother-in-law will love it. You must always show that you respect what you do. You have to explain and understand yourself that your work is the most important thing in the world. When you persuade others, your words carry weight. I hope people always think, "I must live up to the trust that people have in me to accomplish anything."

Representative Hwang Jeong-ah

was elected as a member of the 22nd National Assembly representing Daejeon Yuseong District under the Democratic Party of Korea. She majored in physics at KAIST and worked as a researcher at the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute. From 2012 to 2020, she served nine consecutive years as an auditor for the Korean Women Scientists and Engineers Association (KWSE). In this election, she was elected as one of Daejeon’s first female lawmakers alongside Park Jeong-hyun of Daejeon Daedeok District, also from the Democratic Party. She aims to create an environment where scientists can work with pride as a representative of the scientific community in the National Assembly.

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