Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon named Tuesday a female senior official at the Seoul City administration as one of his three vice mayors.
A former journalist and Cheong Wa Dae official, Cho eun-hee, 49, is Seoul’s first female vice mayor. Her main task will be to assist Mayor Oh in overseeing public relations affairs and serving as a mediator between the city administration and the central government.
Cho’s appointment is unique in that the post of vice mayor has normally been filled with career male civil servants.
Mayor Oh said earlier this month that he would appoint a female vice mayor, stressing that “times are calling for female leadership.” “My priority as the first female vice mayor will be to care for not just women, but for those who are disadvantaged in all sectors of society,” Cho said. “I will consider marginalized citizens in policy-making and listen to various opinions.” Cho formerly served as the director-general for women policies at the city administration before being named to her new post.
She joined the city administration in 2008 at the request of Mayor Oh, who charged her with the task of expanding childcare services for working mothers. Her programs were recently recognized with the U.N. Public Service award.
Born in North Gyeongsang Province, Cho graduated from Ewha Womans University and worked as a journalist for several publications before being appointed as a senior secretary for cultural and tourism affairs at Cheong Wa Dae in 1998.
She served as the editor-inchief of Women Times from 2002 through 2006, a weekly dealing with women-related issues. Cho and her husband, a vice president at SK Telecom, have one son.