[Power K Woman] Hojeong Choi, First Female Chairman of Seoul Metropolitan Council: "Housework and Care Work Should Be Recognized as Career Experience"

Interview with Hojeong Choi, Chairman of the Seoul Metropolitan Council: "I Feel a Sense of Responsibility"
Ordinance on Housework and Care Work Based on Personal Experience
"Hope for Re-evaluation of Value... No Work Should Be Undervalued"

Hojeong Choi, Chairman of the Seoul Metropolitan Council, is the first woman to hold this position in the 68-year history of the council. Reflecting on the title of "the first female chairman of the Seoul Metropolitan Council," she looked at the framed photos of her predecessors hanging in the chairman's office and said, "I am happy, but I also feel a sense of responsibility."

Chairman Hojeong Choi of the Seoul Metropolitan Council is being interviewed by The Asia Business Daily. Photo by Dongju Yoon

Recently, Chairman Choi sponsored an ordinance bill in Seoul that would recognize housework and caregiving labor as valid work experience for both male and female citizens. According to the Framework Act on Gender Equality, the national and local governments are required to make efforts to properly assess the economic value of housework and reflect it in laws, systems, and policies. The ordinance bill was drafted based on this provision. It is expected that the bill will be reviewed and a decision will be made on its adoption within this year.

While explaining the ordinance bill, Chairman Choi became emotional as she recalled her own experience of running for city councilor after having been a homemaker. She reflected, "For 19 years after getting married, I did housework every single day without a break, but when I tried to list my work experience to become a councilor, I had nothing to write." She continued, "After becoming chairman, I held a forum in March this year on 'the social value of housework,' but even achieving economic compensation was difficult. Even if compensation is not possible, I thought it would be good if people could at least use their housework as work experience when they enter society, so I included a provision in the ordinance bill that would allow the Mayor of Seoul to recognize housework as work experience."

Chairman Choi lives by the motto, "I want the people around me to be happy because of me." As a three-term city councilor and now chairman, the number of "people around her" continues to grow. She said, "My personal goal is ultimately the same as my goal as a politician. As a politician, I meet many people, and if they can resolve their concerns through me, that would be great." Chairman Choi was interviewed in the chairman's office of the Seoul Metropolitan Council on October 24.

Chairman Hojeong Choi of the Seoul Metropolitan Council is giving an interview to The Asia Business Daily. Photo by Dongju Yoon

-What led you to enter politics?

▲I did not enter politics with grand ambitions. After getting married, I was raising my children and volunteered as a Green Mother. At that time, I was notified that my children's school would be converted from a national to a public school. I believed that a national school, which could serve as a testbed for Korean education, should not be converted, so I did everything I could. I met with the local National Assembly member, and he resolved the issue. As I continued to participate in community activities with him, I was naturally encouraged to consider becoming a local politician.

-Did you face any difficulties during your political career?

▲There were no major difficulties. However, I did lose an election once in 2018. Even though I had worked hard as a councilor, I realized then that "working hard alone is not enough." Taking a break was not all bad. I was able to meet more frequently with residents whom I had been too busy to see. I had many conversations with residents who visited the cafe where I was working part-time at the time.

-What does the title 'the first female chairman of the Seoul Metropolitan Council' mean to you?

▲The Seoul Metropolitan Council began in 1956, and there has never been a female chairman until now. (Pointing to the photos of previous chairmen) All of these are men, so it is meaningful that, for the first time, a photo of a female chairman will be hung here. At the same time, I feel an immense sense of responsibility to do well.

-What do you focus on in your work as a councilor?

▲If I believe my presence is needed on site, I try to go. Recently, I listened to complaints from landscaping business representatives, visited the site, and found solutions after confirming the situation myself. When landscaping companies finish their projects, there is a two-year after-service (AS) period, during which the district office manages the plants. The companies said that when they go to provide AS, it is difficult to identify the cause of any damage, and with just a bit more attentive management, there would be no need to replant trees. After listening to various stakeholders, including the district office, on site, I found that the landscaping companies were right. For next year, I have secured a budget of 150 million won to improve landscaping maintenance so that those who carried out the planting can manage the trees for two years.

Chairman Hojeong Choi of the Seoul Metropolitan Council is giving an interview to The Asia Business Daily. Photo by Dongju Yoon

-You recently sponsored an ordinance bill for Seoul to recognize housework and caregiving labor as valid work experience.

▲I sponsored the "Ordinance on the Recognition and Promotion of Rights and Interests of Housework and Caregiving Labor for Experienced Citizens of Seoul." For 19 years after getting married, I did housework every day without a break, but when I tried to list my work experience to run for councilor, I had none. At first, I wondered what I had been doing with my life. In March, I also held a forum to raise awareness about the value of housework in society, titled "How Much Is the Social Value of Housework?" I drafted the ordinance so that the Mayor of Seoul can recognize housework as work experience for both women and men when they enter society.

-What impact do you hope the ordinance bill will have on society?

▲I sincerely hope it will have an impact. My son recently had a child, and my daughter-in-law is currently on maternity leave. Housework and caregiving are essential tasks. That is why I hope housework and caregiving labor will be recognized as work experience and their value will be re-evaluated. No form of labor should be undervalued.

-What do you see as the role of local councils in building safety nets for the socially disadvantaged?

▲I believe local councils are closer to these issues than central politics. Local councils can listen more closely to citizens and provide more concrete support. If central politics sets the general direction, local governments are responsible for implementing those policies, so I believe local autonomy should be further developed.

-You were elected as the chairman of the 19th latter half of the National Association of Metropolitan and Provincial Council Chairmen and have been emphasizing the enactment of the Local Council Act.

▲Local autonomy has reached its 30th anniversary. Compared to the past, citizens now recognize and acknowledge the importance of local autonomy. However, there are still limitations due to the lack of certain powers in local councils, such as financial, organizational, and audit authority. For example, even if more personnel are needed, approval from the local government or the Ministry of the Interior and Safety is required, and it is difficult to allocate independent budgets. To complete full local autonomy based on these powers, the Local Council Act is necessary. Currently, four members of the National Assembly have already sponsored the bill, and the Seoul Metropolitan Council has also drafted provisions and requested the National Assembly to introduce the bill through the association of council chairmen. I hope the bill will be passed as soon as possible.

Chairman Hojung Choi of the Seoul Metropolitan Council is posing in front of the artwork titled "Hangang" hanging in the chairman's office. Photo by Dongju Yoon

-What are your thoughts on revitalizing the local economy and improving people's livelihoods?

▲There is not much that can be done at the level of Seoul or metropolitan councils. Still, I think about what can be done in this position. For example, the Seoul Metropolitan Council was the first to revise the ordinance to ease restrictions on weekend closures of large supermarkets. We also took small steps, such as asking the Agricultural and Fishery Food Corporation to ensure a stable supply of cabbage due to concerns about price hikes caused by the heatwave. However, there is not much that can be done at the metropolitan level, which is frustrating. I hope the economy will recover.

-Do you have any message for young women aspiring to become politicians?

▲I would say, "Give it a try." There is so much you can change. You can do things like drafting ordinances to address issues you have been thinking about for a long time. If you want to change the world, you have to take on challenges. That's what I want to say. As I talk about it, I realize that I, too, need to overcome my own fears (laughs).

-What are your future goals?

▲As a person, my goal is to "be someone who makes the people around me happy." That remains unchanged. Rather than something grand, I hope those around me will feel hopeful after talking with me. That feeling has grown stronger since I started working in politics. When residents come to me in difficult times, even if I cannot solve their problems, I want to show them that I am trying, and I hope they feel a bit more at ease. Since becoming a politician, I have met more people and have been able to fix more things. I hope that many people I meet as a politician can resolve their concerns through me.

▶Who is Hojeong Choi, Chairman of the Seoul Metropolitan Council?

She is currently serving as the chairman of the latter half of the 11th Seoul Metropolitan Council and as chairman of the latter half of the 19th National Association of Metropolitan and Provincial Council Chairmen. After spending 19 years as a full-time homemaker, she was encouraged to enter politics and was elected as a member of the 8th Seoul Metropolitan Council in 2010, and again as a member of the 9th council in 2014, making her a three-term councilor. She has also served as an advisory member of the Presidential Transition Committee's National Integration Committee, chairwoman of the Women's Committee of the Seoul Metropolitan Party of the People Power Party, and spokesperson for the Seoul Metropolitan Party of the Liberty Korea Party. She received her bachelor's and master's degrees in Food and Nutrition from Ewha Womans University and completed her doctoral coursework in Public Administration at the Graduate School of the University of Seoul.