LIFE was changed in a sudden for Chang Sang, the 63-year-old president of Ewha Womans University in Seoul, South Korea, when she was announced the new prime minister of her country by President Kim Dae-jung July 11. The first ever female prime minister in the history of South Korea, she was the headline figure in world news the next day. There were applauses, but applauses never last long for a political figure in a place like her. Soon the career educator found herself in the center of controversy. Kim’s ‘woman card’In a reshuffle that is aimed at boosting the government’s image before December presidential polls, Chang, the Princeton-educated theologian from outside Kim’s party, was picked by the president to head a list of largely non-politician technocrats to restore faith in Kim’s administration after a spate of scandals and the inter-Korean naval clash.The appointment appeared as a bold move in a society where women are relegated to distinctly secondary professional roles and rarely rise to senior positions, much less to the highest levels of government or business.Political analysts said Kim pushed a “woman card” this time to recover the reputation of the government and get out of political stalemate by infusing fresh blood. Although former Prime Minister Lee Han-dong served well in his two years and two months of tenure, the most urgent need of President Kim for now is “a new leaf” in the current political situation. As a result Chang, a pure scholar majoring in theology and philosophy without any political affiliation or background, was designated to take his place. The appointment of Chang came as a surprise to the political community, while women’s groups welcomed it as another milestone in the nation’s efforts to upgrade the status of women. The nation’s major political parties had hailed President Kim’s appointment of Chang as “meaningful efforts” to improve the status of women in this male-dominated society.Chief presidential secretary Park Jie-won said that Kim chose Chang because he believes she has not only a reputation as a scholar but also management skills, acquired from her position as Ewha’s top administrator. It also represents Kim’s policy of emphasizing the roles of women in Korean society.The 63-year-old president of Ewha Womans University, credited with a wealth of experiences in education and organization management, is expected to lead the cabinet in an effective manner. Prospects look cloudyAccording to a new constitutional amendment, Chang’s designation needs an approval of National Assembly, which would fall on July 29. At the beginning it is generally believed that Kim’s “woman card” will be effectual, for any party in parliament does not want to loss the half-support of the women in the nation’s presidential elections scheduled for December. The opposition party was not expected to try to block approval of Chang in the National Assembly, in which it holds more seats than does the governing Millennium Democratic Party. With elections for 15 vacant assembly seats coming up Aug. 8, opposition leaders were believed to be reluctant to risk losing votes among women by raising objections.However, prospects for Chang, which looked just a matter of formality right after the announcement, appear to be clouded amid rising controversies over her. Just one day after Chang’s appointment, the conservative Grand National Party (GNP) took issue with her qualifications. The GNP focused its criticisms on the fact that Chang’s eldest son holds American citizenship, and he was exempted from the mandatory military service. “I have a very skeptical view whether she is really qualified to take the post of the prime minister, considering her morality and patriotism,” Rep. Rhee Q-taek, floor leader of the GNP, said. “Chang’s appointment will only end up with President Kim’s ‘surprise show,’ like the resignation of former Education Minister Song Ja in 2000 over the allegation of dual citizenship for himself and his family members, just 23 days after being appointed,” Rhee said. Analysts said Rhee’s remarks hinted the GNP, the largest legislative group, might vote against a government-led motion calling for Chang’s parliamentary approval. The GNP holds 128 seats, only two seats short of a simple majority in the 259-member National Assembly.Some skeptics also expressed concerns that her lack of experience in political and government administrative affairs would undermine her command in the cabinet, with the presidential elections expected to put government officials under growing political influence. “I doubt if Chang can stand sternly against rampant corruption and illegality, firmly guaranteeing the neutrality of the administrative branch with the presidential polls near at hand,” said Kim Min-young, director for Civil Watch at the People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPD). Scandals about her put her under immense pressure as well. The new prime minister was first under opposition politicians’ charges that her son avoided military service by adopting American citizenship. And then a local newspaper reported recently that Chang bought land in Gyeonggi Province in 1988 and it may have been linked to real estate speculation. To quickly contain the latest dispute, Chang revealed that her son will give up his American citizenship. But she was hit by a fresh allegation that her son has benefited from Korean medical insurance. Analysts said there are concerns that a series of questions about the new prime minister and her family may tarnish President Kim Dae-jung’s landmark appointment of the nation’s first female prime minister. The fate of the first ever female prime minister-designate is yet to be decided by the hearing at the month end. But what is for sure is that it would be a hard one for her.

　　Born in Yongcheon, North Pyeongan Province in North Korea, Chang studied mathematics at Ewha and received a doctorate from Princeton University in the United States. She taught philosophy and theology at Ewha and has served as its president since 1996. As a prime minister-designate Chang pledges to work hard to maintain political neutrality of the cabinet, which she says is key to guarantee fairness of the nation’s presidential elections, scheduled for December. She also promises to help the people form a consensus on the government’s North Korea policy.