President Moon Jae-in’s pick for senior personnel affairs secretary is a woman, a first in South Korea.

Cho Hyun-ock has been overseeing the woman and family policy of Seoul Metropolitan Government for six years.

Prior to that, she was an adjunct professor at Ewha Womans University between 2007 and 2010 and a presidential aide for the balanced personnel management commission during the Roh Moo-hyun administration.


From 2002-2004, she worked as a senior researcher at Hanshin University in Seoul and took on a standing representative position at Korea Women’s Political Solidarity between 2001 and 2006. Cho has spoken at the World Urban Forum’s Gender Equality Action Assembly.

Concerning the personnel policies of President Moon, Cho told reporters that “recommendations for state posts will be made through a variety of channels, not just from the ruling party (Democratic Party of Korea).”

Announcing her appointment, Moon’s chief of staff Im Jong-seok said it would lead to the widening of the scope of appointments of women for the presidential secretariat, Cabinet and state-funded companies.

During his campaign, Moon vowed to fill 30 percent of the Cabinet with women.

Cho graduated from Ewha Womans University and earned her doctorate in politics from Heidelberg University in Germany.

By Kim Yon-se (kys@heraldcorp.com)