Minor party lawmaker named in TIME 100 Next 2021

Rep. Jang Hye-young of the minor opposition Justice Party speaks during a party meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul, Tuesday. / Yonhap

By Jun Ji-hye

Rep. Jang Hye-young of the minor progressive opposition Justice Party has been named in the TIME 100 Next 2021 list that recognizes 100 emerging leaders of 2021 who are shaping the future of entertainment, health, politics and business.

When announcing the list, Wednesday, the magazine noted that Rep. Jang was 33 years old when she was elected last year, making her one of Korea's youngest-ever lawmakers.

The magazine focused its attention on a documentary Jang produced after realizing that some of the staff at a facility caring for her autistic sister were abusive.

“She decided to care for her personally, taking jobs as an animator to make ends meet,” the magazine said. “In 2018, she released an award-winning documentary about their shared life, which boosted her profile as a filmmaker and a disability-rights advocate.”

The magazine continued that Jang has already made her mark within the progressive party, pushing through legislation that safeguards welfare services for retirees with disabilities.

She is currently working to pass a law to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, a move that has been opposed by some influential religious conservatives and business groups who have worked for years to prevent any such progress for the LGBTQ community.

The magazine also mentioned the latest case that caught the public's attention, in which Jang reported her party's former chairman ― Kim Jong-cheol ― for sexually harassing her.

After she brought the issue to the party's gender human rights division, Kim admitted to the sexual harassment. He was removed from his post, Jan. 25, marking the first time that the leader of a political party here has been removed due to sexual misconduct.

“She said she came forward in the hopes that it would encourage other women to do the same: in Korea, an average of 3.4 sexual harassment crimes are reported every hour,” the magazine said.