Known as the mother who sent both daughters to Seoul National University
All eyes are on whether the newly formed 10th Suncheon City Council, constituted through the June 3 local elections, will elect its first-ever female speaker when it chooses a leader for the first half of its term.
Lee Young-ran, a Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker representing the Wangjo 2-dong district, said Monday she intends to run for speaker of the first-half term, citing her experience as a three-term council member and a proven track record in communicative leadership.
Lee has steadily built her credentials for the speakership, having served as both chair of the Council Operations Committee, which oversees the overall running of the assembly, and chair of the Administrative and Autonomy Committee, which handles administrative law, regulations and accounting.
With hands-on experience in both council administration and its finances, she expressed confidence that she is better positioned than anyone to diagnose problems in the council's operations and devise concrete remedies.
She is also expected to bring council-level wisdom to bear on major local issues, including the siting of Suncheon's public resource recovery facility — a waste incineration plant — and efforts to attract a medical school to Suncheon National University.
"I will step away from unproductive confrontation with the executive branch and instead focus on genuine improvements to people's livelihoods through dialogue and the presentation of reasonable alternatives," Lee said. "I will devote all my energy to building a city council that fully respects and considers the views of each of the 25 council members, including those from minority parties and independents."
A graduate of Suncheon Girls' High School, Lee has served as president of the Suncheon Girls' Middle and High School Alumni Association, adjunct professor of social welfare at Cheongam University, and a board member of the South Jeolla Province Climate and Environment Network.
She and her husband, Park Sang-young, a university professor, have three children. Both their eldest and second daughters attended Seoul National University, while their son, a graduate of the University of London, works at an asset management firm.
The Suncheon City Council is scheduled to hold a special session on July 1 to elect the speaker for the first half of the 10th term, followed by elections for the chairs of each standing committee on July 2.
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