Hong Suk Ja: Pursuing Women’s Liberties into the Southern area Korea
A general change in activities avoided the woman off finishing the levels into the New york, however, Hong in the course of time gained the lady Ph
Hong Suk Ja, a graduate regarding the Boston College or university Agencies off Political Technology inside the 1958, helped perform a patio to have women’s legal rights inside South Korea. The woman efforts to possess sex equality affected Korean society and you may led to modifying brand new stereotypes regarding feamales in South Korea for the 2nd 50 % of the latest twentieth century.
Hong was given birth to into July twenty five, 1933 during the Seoul . She try named a smart scholar and therefore provided potential for the education, which were uncommon having Korean females at that time. In her young people, Hong planned to end up being good diplomat. This lady aspiration advised the lady to review more complicated, especially languages like English and you may French. Perhaps the Korean Battle between 1950 and you will 1953 couldn’t prevent the lady passion for investigation. She joined the fresh Dongguk School Service out-of Governmental Technology and you may Diplomacy because the a keen undergraduate beginner and you will graduated in the 1955. She try truly the only ladies scholar in the program. Immediately following graduation, she decided to research on scholar college regarding Ewha Womans College or university, where for the 1956 she is the first pupil to receive a great Master’s education inside politics and diplomacy .
Shortly after she completed the woman research on Ewha Womans University, Hong wished to investigation in america. It searched preposterous just like the simply folks of the latest privileged category you can expect to enjoys chances to data overseas in the middle-twentieth-century. Yet, Rev. Edwin Wright, who was simply out of Massachusetts however, briefly remaining in Korea, you to definitely Hong should analysis in america. Dr. Wright guaranteed financing to have Hong’s graduate research at the Boston School. Thus, she visited Boston into the August 1956, and you may received the second Master’s studies in political technology within Boston College or university within the 1958 . She also partnered Cheon Juhwa, several other Korean globally scholar who were residing Boston if you’re the guy learned medicine .
Hwang Seongsu, who had studied around the globe politics in the Columbia College and you will satisfied Hong on Political Diplomacy Study Group that he planned from inside the Busan throughout the the fresh Korean Battle, sure Dr
Given that go out approached to possess Hong giving beginning to help you the woman earliest boy, Cheon Inbeom (now new Deputy Chief of your own Earliest Republic of Korea Armed forces Command), she gone back to Southern area Korea . Just after their birth inside December 1958, she receive act as an associate to the minister regarding international situations . Yet , within this annually, Hong and Jeon Seongsuk was indeed appointed just like the earliest females Korean diplomats. Very first, Hong worked regarding the method office, translating English to Korean to the spouse away from minister away from international situations as she had the spouses off ambassadors from overseas countries.
In the 1962, Hong visited Ny because the a beneficial Carnegie Fellow in the Columbia College or university owing to an application to rehearse diplomats off developing nations. Her re-connection with Western community caused this lady observe Korean neighborhood in a different way. She became a recommend getting ladies’ liberties, and you can criticized Korean norms you to definitely needed women’s endurance. While the a term away from the lady the new freedom out-of particularly standards, Hong ended this lady wedding .
For the 1965, couple of years shortly after to Korea, Hong is actually appointed since good vice-consul towards Consulate Standard of one’s Republis out of Korea for the Ny. It absolutely was a startling conference since she was the initial lady diplomat be effective within Consulate plus it attracted adequate interest that Korean click covered the story. Inside Ny, she worked since a good diplomat and now have began dealing with a good doctorate on This new University to possess Personal Lookup. D. away from Dongguk School into the 1975.
Although Hong had much time aspired to be a great diplomat, she made a decision to quit this lady job inside 1971 and started to work with ladies’ legal rights into the Korea. This is since these she are stressed from the discrimination up against people in Korean society, a technology that she found profoundly alienating while you are being employed as a good diplomat .
