Beyond Limits and Prejudice... 'Power K-Women' Who Changed the World Meaningfully [2022 Women's Forum]

2022 Women Leaders Forum Announces Power K-Women 40
Selected for Innovation, Creativity, Pioneering, and Inclusion
Women Creating Value and Contributing with Their Own Stories

At the ‘2022 Women Leaders Forum’ hosted by Asia Economy on the 19th, the ‘Power K-Women’ 40 were announced for the first time this year. Power K-Women refers to Korean or Korean-descendant female leaders who have fought against boundaries and limitations such as physical disabilities, poverty, migration, and war both domestically and internationally, creating new universal values. Among the recommended candidates from Asia Economy reporters, the research team, and advisory panel, individuals were selected based on four criteria: innovation, creativity, pioneering spirit, and inclusiveness. Rather than focusing solely on achievements and results, those who created and contributed new social values through their own stories were chosen.

The Women’s Forum advisory panel suggested selecting ‘fresh figures’ as K-Women candidates and nurturing them into brands with ‘distinctive colors.’ Kim Mi-kyung, CEO of MKTV, explained, "We focused not on how successful they were, but on how much the world has become more valuable because of them." Moon Seon-kyung, Executive Director of Unico Search, said, "I hope that seeing K-Women will inspire others to want to become leaders who exert such positive influence." Jang Hye-young also stated, "I hope that when selecting K-Women, we can think about who is the most important person to us, so that Korean society feels represented here." The advisory panel of the Women Leaders Forum, launched in July, includes Chair Kim Mi-kyung, CEO of MKYU, former Vice Minister of Gender Equality and Family Kim Kyung-sun, National Assembly member Kim Mi-ae, Chief Product Officer (CPO) of T Map Mobility Kim Yuri, Head of KT Enterprise Division Shin Su-jeong, Executive Director of Unico Search Moon Seon-kyung, National Assembly member Jang Hye-young, and CEO of Hunet Jo Young-tak.

Among the 40 selected, artist Jeong Eun-hye, who has Down syndrome, communicated with people and the world by drawing caricatures of people at flea markets despite facing discriminatory and prejudiced views. Jang Young-hwa, CEO of OIC Lab and a former lawyer, runs Join Startup, a project that matches talent with startups, helping a diverse range of people from job seekers to women with career interruptions to ‘press the start button.’ Professor Sung Jin-sil of Yonsei Cancer Hospital, the first Korean woman to receive the ‘Blue Fairy Award’ given to medical professionals with achievements in liver cancer, said, "No one is born excellent. We must create a better version of ourselves, not the self that exists today."

Diversity and inclusion are essential elements for advancing society to a better place. Global companies continue to integrate Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) into their corporate and organizational cultures. Asia Economy aims to continuously discover and highlight individuals who have led innovation with diversity and inclusion across various fields domestically and internationally, delivering new values.