Cho adds 'elegance' as Park's spokeswoman

By Jun Ji-hye

Cho Yoon-sun, spokeswoman for President-elect Park Geun-hye

She is almost always there with President-elect Park Geun-hye like a shadow from the time when Park was a candidate.

Now, Cho Yoon-sun, Park’s spokeswoman, is hoping to help Park become one of the best presidents in the nation’s history. Toward that end, she seems more determined in her mission after serving the same post during the election.

“During the election, I decided to do everything I could to help Park win. I worked hard, even at odd jobs,” she told The Korea Times.

“And, I still think the same. I am willing to do what nobody wants to do to assist Park to be a great president.”

Cho said she decided to support Park to help create a social atmosphere where women can more actively display their abilities.

She also hopes to make a great contribution as a female spokesperson for the nation’s first female president.

“I have worked in a male-dominated working environment. While working as a minority, I came to know how hard and unnatural it is to work among men. I had some exhausting times that men would probably never understand,” Cho said.

She said that as the nation has a female president, both sexes will be in better harmony in society.

“The process will be naturally underway without requiring much. Both sexes will communicate better with each other,” she said.

“I expect the trend to spread to the rest of society and this will create a healthier world.”

The 47-year-old spokeswoman said she felt that Park completely changed after the election.

“When Park was a candidate, she just wanted to meet people, listen to their difficulties and think about the solutions. These tasks were what she mostly focused on,” she said.

“After the election, Park began to meet foreign diplomats and displayed prominent dignity and authority. I could feel her grace and responsibility as the head of state. I was so proud of it.”

She added her work also changed after the election.

“Previously, I was a spokeswoman for the politician, which led me to work on a political campaign and to actively appear in the media. But my stance for now is more about a staff officer,” she said.

“So, I am trying to synchronize myself with the President-elect in order to deliver her pledges and thoughts so that those can permeate into all government departments. This is what a person like me has to do now,” she said.

After graduating from the department of diplomacy at Seoul National University, Cho worked as a lawyer for the nation’s largest law firm Kim & Chang.

She entered the political circle first in 2002 as a spokeswoman for Lee Hoi-chang, then presidential candidate for the Grand National Party, now the ruling Saenuri Party.

Cho also made it to the National Assembly in 2008 as a proportional representation lawmaker.