[K-Women Talk]The Gift the Last Week of December Brings to Us

Now, only three days remain in 2025. The year 2025 will be remembered as a truly special year for all citizens of South Korea. It was a year marked by political turbulence that had never been experienced before-and that no one wishes to endure again-but also a meaningful year in which South Korea’s democracy was revived through the strength of its great people.

Compared to December 29, 2024, when the KOSPI market capitalization had dropped by 159 trillion won from the previous year and the KOSPI index had plummeted to 2,404, the current KOSPI index has surpassed 4,000. The financial markets at the end of this year are demonstrating the possibility that our economy can take another leap forward.

Furthermore, the APEC Summit held in Gyeongju at the end of October served as an excellent opportunity to showcase South Korea’s diplomatic capabilities to the world, proving that the nation’s system operates at an advanced level. Just before the summit, a dramatic agreement was reached in tariff negotiations with the United States, which have a significant impact on our exports. The South Korea-U.S., South Korea-China, and South Korea-Japan summits were all conducted harmoniously, and the first U.S.-China summit of Trump’s second term was also held in Busan, drawing global attention to these diplomatic achievements.

Additionally, the global phenomenon sparked by K-Pop Demon Hunters, which premiered in June this year, helped firmly establish and promote K-culture worldwide. It set new records, including becoming the most viewed title of all time on Netflix, surpassing 500 million viewing hours for the first time in the history of Netflix films, and topping the Billboard Hot 100 for eight consecutive weeks-the longest ever for an animation OST. These remarkable achievements have greatly enhanced the pride of our people this year.

One of the indicators of a healthy society is said to be resilience. This past year can be evaluated as one that demonstrated the resilience of South Korea’s economy and democracy. This suggests that our social systems have become highly advanced. Culturally, too, the success of K-Pop Demon Hunters shows that we have reached the highest global standards.

As the year draws to a close, it is a time to look back once again-both personally and nationally. In order to take new steps forward, a period of reflection is necessary. Have I personally carried out my plans for the year well? Has our company achieved the results we originally set out to accomplish? At the government level, it is also a time to consider whether work has progressed as planned and whether it has produced the intended positive effects.

The recent presidential work reports from government ministries, broadcast live, also appear to have been conducted as part of this process of review. Although such public scrutiny may increase the tension among government officials, these moments of assessment are necessary. They should not end with a live broadcast of reports and Q&A sessions, but rather be followed by further in-depth evaluation within each government organization. The final week of December offers everyone a quiet opportunity to reflect and consider the path forward.

There can be no progress without review and evaluation. Now is the time to look back, acknowledge what went well, and reset anything that did not go as expected. Personally, I plan to use the last week of December to quietly reflect on the past year. It is a time of peaceful rest and a precious gift to prepare for a new leap in the coming year.

Kim Kyungseon, former Vice Minister of Gender Equality and Family