Jihyun Park and Mikyung Lee Selected as BBC's '100 Women of the Year'

BBC "Reflecting Women's Roles in Global Conflicts"
Including Ursula von der Leyen, Olena Zelenska, Elnaz Rekabi on the List

Park Ji-hyun, former co-chair of the Democratic Party Emergency Committee (left), and Lee Mi-kyung, Vice Chairman of CJ. Photo by Yonhap News Agency and CJ ENM

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoon Seul-gi] Former co-chair of the Democratic Party's Emergency Response Committee Park Ji-hyun and CJ Group Vice Chair Lee Mi-kyung were included in the BBC's '100 Women of the Year.'

On the 6th, BBC released the list of '100 Inspiring and Influential Women' on its website. Among Koreans, former Emergency Response Committee Chair Park and Vice Chair Lee were selected.

BBC introduced former Chair Park as a "Political reformer," explaining, "As a university student, she helped crack down on the online sexual crime group 'Nth Room' and entered politics this year to engage with young female voters." It also noted that she joined the Democratic Party's Emergency Response Committee but resigned after the June 1 local election defeat. Although she currently holds no official title, she remains dedicated to promoting gender equality in politics.

Regarding Vice Chair Lee, BBC described her as "a passionate patron of the arts leading the Korean Wave," calling her "the driving force behind the global success of K-pop." It added that she was the executive producer of 'Parasite,' the first foreign-language film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture in the United States.

The selection process for the '100 Women of the Year' included a nomination system for the first time. BBC asked previously selected individuals to nominate people qualified to be on the new list. Australian actress Rebel Wilson, who was on last year's list, nominated Vice Chair Lee. Wilson recommended her as "the epitome of girl power and my role model."

Previously, among Koreans, former Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency Director Jung Eun-kyung was listed as a "Virus Hunter" in 2020, and Professor Lee Soo-jung of Kyonggi University's Department of Criminal Psychology was named in 2019.

BBC stated that the list reflects the role of women at the center of global conflicts and disputes such as the Iranian anti-government protests and the Ukraine war. Included were Ursula von der Leyen, the first female President of the European Commission; Olena Zelenska, wife of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky; and Iranian athlete Elnaz Rekabi, who competed without a hijab at an international sport climbing competition held in Korea.

In addition to several Iranian female activists, BBC separately selected the "Women Cutting Their Hair in Iran." During the Iranian protests sparked by the suspicious death related to the hijab, women have been cutting their hair to participate in the protests and express resistance against the Iranian government.

The list also included Ukrainian pediatricians and paramedics helping people amid the Ukraine war, as well as a Russian singer who voiced anti-war sentiments.

Meanwhile, BBC's '100 Women of the Year' marks its 10th anniversary this year. The '100 Women of the Year' was created in 2012 to improve media coverage of women's stories following a gang rape incident in Delhi.