ABC Seoul bureau chief publishes memoir

Cho Joo-hee, Seoul bureau chief of ABC News, has published her first memoir “Aspire with Grace“ in Seoul this month.

Having worked for both ABC News and the Washington Post as a foreign correspondent in Seoul since 1999, Cho seemed more than confident of her own accomplishments during a press conference promoting the book on Tuesday.

Cho, who calls herself a “social narcissist” in the book, said she wrote the memoir in hopes of helping young aspiring men and women. “Being wisely ambitious is different from being greedy,” Cho told reporters on Tuesday. “Having aspirations can help lead a fulfilling life in today’s world where everything is constantly changing. And in order to be wisely ambitious, one first needs to know how to love her or himself.”

While chronicling Cho’s life experience as a foreign correspondent in Korea, the book also contains a series of practical life and career tips, including how to network; how to communicate clearly; and how to appreciate and develop one’s own abilities and potential.

Cho also writes she has encountered discrimination and challenging behavior while working in a profession that very often required transcending cultural, ethnic and gender boundaries.

“Many (in Korea) expected to see a middle-aged white man with blond hair when they heard the word foreign correspondent,” Cho said. “It was also hard to talk about politics and ideologies in such circumstances.”

The bureau chief also stressed that a woman should not give up her femininity when competing against men in society. “Female reporters have been often regarded as tomboyish, active women with short hair and no makeup,” Cho said. “That did not suit me, and I didn’t want to be like that. I wanted to look good and did not necessarily want to hide that.”

Cho said though she wouldn’t necessarily call herself “successful,” she is content with everything she has accomplished so far. “I didn’t write this book to promote myself,” she said. “I’d rather live a quiet life. Yet I’ve been receiving a lot of questions from younger generations about my career and life. I love helping people and I hope to reach to those young people who are in need of guidance or advice with this book.”

By Claire Lee (dyc@heraldcorp.com)