[2020 Women’s Forum] Yang Hang-ja & Kim Eun-hye Dialogue "Leader’s Virtue, Honest Altruism"

Yang 최고위원 "Manuals and systems must be established to prevent mistakes from leading to failure"
Rep. Kim "Fair evaluation with reward and punishment is necessary to be recognized as a leader"

Yang Hyang-ja, the Supreme Council Member of the Democratic Party of Korea (center), and Kim Eun-hye, a member of the People Power Party (right), are having a dialogue hosted by announcer Kim Il-jung at the "2020 Asia Women Leaders Forum" held on the 28th at Lotte Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] On the 28th, the second session of the '2020 Asia Women Leaders Forum' titled 'People, Coolness, and Leaders' opened with a dialogue between Yang Hyang-ja, Supreme Council Member of the Democratic Party of Korea, and Kim Eun-hye, Member of the People Power Party, held at Lotte Hotel in Sogong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul. Moderated by announcer Kim Il-joong, the discussion mainly focused on politics in the COVID-19 era and the qualities of future generation leaders. Supreme Council Member Yang is an economic and IT expert who worked for 30 years in Samsung Electronics' semiconductor division, while Member Kim has experience as a reporter, anchor, and has worked at the Blue House and IT companies.

Kim Il-joong: They say it’s the untact (contactless) era. Did you both face any restrictions in your legislative activities?

Kim Eun-hye: Members of the National Assembly are at the pinnacle of contact. You need to meet, shake hands, and hug to feel each other's energy, but we couldn’t do that. Untact is unfamiliar and burdensome to me. While it’s efficient in terms of time and space, the downside is that you can’t see each other’s eyes. I’m trying to adapt.

Yang Hyang-ja: Untact was quite troublesome in the position of a lawmaker. Society is actually contradictory now. Take mobile phones as an example?they contain memory semiconductors. The capacity of memory semiconductors must increase, but the area must shrink, performance must be excellent, and the price must be low. The untact era means parting ways with the familiar. The first time we held a party meeting via Zoom, I was fine with it. Untact has become a way of life.

Kim Il-joong: Parting with the familiar is not easy. It’s also called COVID blue. How should leaders respond?

Yang Hyang-ja: You become unhappy when you try to do what’s impossible. There’s no need to waste energy on what can’t be done anyway. It takes practice and strength to focus on what you can concentrate on. We are facing a society in the with-COVID era. I think we must find new ways as it is.

Kim Eun-hye: COVID seems to teach us how important the value of life and freedom is to individuals. We are controlled in the name of the whole. In the name of the whole, we face a crisis of fragmentation. We are disconnected, anxious, lonely, but no one can save anyone else. The totalitarian wind strikes the weak link. I think it’s the leader’s task to overcome this by mobilizing all five senses. Even in this era, passion to block it using analog methods is necessary.

Kim Il-joong: Supreme Council Member Yang, you served as the President of the National Human Resources Development Institute. What is the most important point in nurturing talent as a leader?

Yang Hyang-ja: When I first took office, procurement work was paralyzed. It was because the workload increased with the new president, but upon checking, there was no work manual. When developing semiconductors, I always emphasized the importance of systems. Usually, people working in government departments move after about one and a half years on average, but there was no manual. There was no organization of past errors either. Problems kept recurring, so I told them to establish work manuals and systems. If there is no system, it’s the leader’s responsibility; if there is a system but it’s not followed, it’s the staff’s responsibility. And the leader must manage so that staff mistakes do not lead to major failures within that system. I also created the 'First Penguin Award' to encourage more proactive administration. It means to take on difficult challenges first.

Kim Il-joong: When you were president, you had the nickname 'the president who folds toilet paper.'

Yang Hyang-ja: In department stores or good hotels, toilet paper is folded into a triangle. When I went to the Human Resources Development Institute, it wasn’t folded like that. So I folded the toilet paper into a triangle and left it. It’s a small consideration, but it makes the next person feel good. The cleaning ladies were surprised, and later they found out the president was doing it.

Yang Hyang-ja, the Supreme Member of the Democratic Party of Korea, is having a dialogue with Kim Eun-hye, a member of the People Power Party, at the '2020 Asia Women Leaders Forum' held at Lotte Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 28th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Kim Il-joong: Is there any leadership you think should be cautious about?

Yang Hyang-ja: Members quickly sense the leader’s thoughts. Whether it’s for themselves or for us. Leaders must have an altruistic heart rather than a selfish one. Politics is the same. If a politician is not altruistic, they should never do politics. But they must be sincerely altruistic. If it’s false, it’s quickly seen through. In that sense, working in a company for 30 years was a time to train myself for politics.

Kim Il-joong: Member Kim, you have worked in a profession meeting people. What do you focus on most?

Kim Eun-hye: At first, I thought momentary choice and focus determined 10 years. As a female leader, I wondered how to get juniors to follow me well. I thought of leaders like a mother, lover, or older sister, but it was nothing special. Promoting those who work well and punishing those who don’t, establishing fair evaluation criteria?that was it. Those who become leaders should be obsessed with small things. They must be able to observe the person in front of them, and if someone thinks they are unfairly evaluated or discriminated against, the leader must know it; otherwise, the organization cannot regain vitality, so the leader must actively intervene.

Kim Il-joong: In an interview after your election, you mentioned Professor Catherine Hakim’s concept of 'attractiveness capital.' What is attractiveness capital for becoming a leader or a cool person?

Kim Eun-hye: Attractiveness capital is not something great. It’s not great because it’s not difficult to apply in daily life. It’s empathy and consideration. It’s especially necessary for opposition party members. Now, it’s no longer about progressive or conservative; the key is how much you can broaden your life horizon. Professor Hakim’s empathy and consideration, I thought politicians are no longer grandiose adjectives but warnings. Politicians are now like menu items in a buffet restaurant. They must be chosen by the people and, regardless of party, be someone who helps us when the people see them. The chopsticks that choose me are those who choose someone who is light, salt, and nutrients to me. The greatest virtue is honesty. Consideration and empathy of politicians can appear insincere to others; if not honest, it’s hypocrisy. One must embody being honest, humble, and humble so that one’s self becomes attractive.

Kim Eun-hye, a member of the People Power Party, is having a dialogue with Yang Hyang-ja, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, at the '2020 Asia Women Leaders Forum' held at Lotte Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 28th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Kim Il-joong: Supreme Council Member Yang, you proposed three laws to activate economic free trade and economic bills related to the artificial intelligence industry. What should Korean society prepare for the future?

Yang Hyang-ja: In politics, I see there is no forecasting. It’s about this year, next year, or the year after next, but it’s caught in political strife. When I was in a company, I always imagined future industries. Whatever I do, I think we must imagine at least 10 to 15 years ahead and proposed bills that can come out toward the future. Leaders must have the courage to quickly choose another path if the direction is wrong. We must think that this moment is somehow connected to the future point and be together. Like Steve Jobs said. We must prepare for the future.

Kim Il-joong: Many bills you proposed this year relate to public housing, aging cities, and housing. What values do you place on housing stability?

Kim Eun-hye: When I was young, I actually lived in a mountain village. My father was unemployed, so we always had to move at some point. I remember feeling quite disappointed because the houses we moved to were not bigger or better. Because of that sense of deprivation, I believe the state should support housing stability, especially food, clothing, and shelter, for all citizens based on the principle of inalienable human rights. Also, my deprivation should not be repeated for others. I think we must work harder. I don’t want to say that if you try hard, your dream will come true because too many variables are waiting. Removing those variables is the job of me, Supreme Council Member Yang, and the older generation. I also lived mostly in male-dominated organizations, so whether as a reporter, at the Blue House, or a telecom company, I thought I had to work twice as hard and be recognized twice as much to be fairly evaluated compared to men. I am a person of the past. I’m not proud of my past like a war. I came here because I think my past serves as a ladder intertwined with your future. I encourage you to have faith in your heart once, believe in yourself, and carry on with indomitable will. I want to say use and utilize people like me from the older generation. The world, surprisingly, responds to those who raise their voices even if it’s scary and difficult.