Home GRASP GRASP/Korea An alpha female chalks up another first

An alpha female chalks up another first

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With her signature silver mop of hair, career diplomat Kang Kyung Wha stands out in image-conscious South Korea, where hair colouring is a norm for greying women..
With her signature silver mop of hair, career diplomat Kang Kyung Wha stands out in image-conscious South Korea, where hair colouring is a norm for greying women.
She admitted once that even her own mother was embarrassed by her natural hair colour, but she said she “didn’t want to cover up my true self” anymore.
Dr Kang, 62, is one who dares to go against the norm, and she has built a solid career scoring many firsts. “I’m not an ambitious person but I’m a very curious person interested in all matters, ” she said at a 2013 talk by the Korea Society in the United States.
“I always go for new experiences… the newness of the challenge is what motivates me.”
Deemed an alpha female in a male-dominated society, she carved out an illustrious career in the civil service and eventually became the first South Korean woman to assume a senior position at the United Nations, handling human rights and humanitarian issues.
The mother of three has just added one more feather to her cap, becoming her country’s first female foreign minister.
Her controversial appointment was confirmed by President Moon Jae In on June 18, despite strong protests from the opposition bloc over her past wrongdoings – which included using a fake address to enrol her daughter at her alma mater – and media allegations of corruption and tax evasion. She has since apologised for her daughter’s wrongful enrolment, but denied the other allegations.
Critics had warned that her appointment, which was delayed for weeks, could risk paralysing Parliament if opposition parties rallied together to oppose major Bills proposed by the President. There were also concerns that she lacked experience in dealing with the belligerent North and the delicate diplomacy between the US and China.

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