WHAT DO you think a 21-year-old student can do? If you hesitate to answer, there can be a variety of things, even those that you thought could only be done by experienced adults. Here’s Hwang Yu-jeong (Soph., Dept. of Political Science) who learned this firsthand by doing secretarial work as a member of the National Assembly.

When I was an elementary school student, I fell in love with learning English. People told me that I could make an excellent diplomat. They told me that the Dept. of Political Science in Yonsei Univ. would be the best place to become a diplomat, and that’s where I am in now. I heard that many seniors in my department did secretary work during their university years, and I also became interested in it. Also, I thought I must know the actual circumstances of the National Assembly before blaming politicians, because so many Koreans have negative feelings towards them. It is no use just to blame them. I thought that students who learn political science in Yonsei should at least be able to see them in a reasonable perspective. That’s why I applied to become a secretary.
I had interest in politics, so I had always tried to become familiar with the proclivities of each assemblyman. When the recruitment for secretarial interns to assemblymen appeared on the National Assembly website, I applied, had an interview, and then I got the position. It was April 2007 and I was a sophomore. I didn’t prepare anything special for it, I think I just fit the kind of person the assemblyman was looking for. The assemblyman I worked for was rather young, and he wanted a secretary who was fluent in English and could give him fresh ideas so that he could get close to his young constituents.
As a secretary to an assemblyman, I basically gave briefings to world newspapers and follow ups of press briefings from the White House. I also interpreted when foreign celebrities came. Luckily, I was working at the time of the presidential and general elections, so I had the chance to participate in the campaign and see how it worked. My most fruitful experience was the inspection of the government offices conducted by the National Assembly. I was in charge of four offices and I got reported on operations in each, read the documents overnight, pinpointed the mistakes, and had them corrected. It was the kind of work that I thought could only be done by the most experienced lawmakers.
Seeing the National Assembly from the outside and inside was really different. The Assembly was alive and dynamic, not just a battlefield like we usually see on TV. In addition, I understood the actual power of the Assembly and was proud of the fact that a young student like me could contribute to the influence of that power. For example, during the inspection of the administration, I found some faults with the gas improvement expenditure, which was directly related to public welfare. I continuously pointed it out and pressured officials to correct it. After the system was corrected, I felt that if I work harder, I can improve people’s livelihood.
I believe wealth, fame, and honor will automatically follow if I work according to my interests and aptitude. I’m not overly obsessed about my future plans. I believe in myself, and I believe I can do anything I want. That’s my view of life. Also, I think it very important that the people who benefited from Korea’s opportunities should contribute back to the society. I want to be a highly influential person in the world and spread this value, while using my influence in a positive way.