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| Bora Kwon: ‘Korea is agile: it took the coronavirus seriously from the start’ | Bora Kwon: ‘Korea is agile: it took the coronavirus seriously from the start’ |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The UK’s first British-Korean local councillor on her path to politics, the way forward for the Labour party – and Covid-19 | The UK’s first British-Korean local councillor on her path to politics, the way forward for the Labour party – and Covid-19 |
| Growing up in England, people would always ask me if I was Chinese or Japanese,” says Bora Kwon. “They’d never heard of South Korea – well, not until the Seoul Olympics [in 1988].” Now, with Oscar-winning film Parasite, K-pop (Korean pop music) and kimchi, the UK’s first British-Korean councillor no longer has to explain about her country of birth. Instead she says she is enjoying Hallyu – the Korean cultural wave – that has swept Britain. | Growing up in England, people would always ask me if I was Chinese or Japanese,” says Bora Kwon. “They’d never heard of South Korea – well, not until the Seoul Olympics [in 1988].” Now, with Oscar-winning film Parasite, K-pop (Korean pop music) and kimchi, the UK’s first British-Korean councillor no longer has to explain about her country of birth. Instead she says she is enjoying Hallyu – the Korean cultural wave – that has swept Britain. |
| Kwon, 40, arrived in the UK in 1982 at the age of three, when her father, a middle manager for a high end Korean fashion retailer, was posted here. Her parents didn’t plan to stay long, but like other Koreans working for companies such as Samsung or Hyundai, once her younger brother was born and the children were in school, they changed their minds. The family moved to New Malden, a corner of south west London now commonly known as Korea Town, thanks to a large proportion of the UK’s small Korean community – numbering 45,000 – settling there. | Kwon, 40, arrived in the UK in 1982 at the age of three, when her father, a middle manager for a high end Korean fashion retailer, was posted here. Her parents didn’t plan to stay long, but like other Koreans working for companies such as Samsung or Hyundai, once her younger brother was born and the children were in school, they changed their minds. The family moved to New Malden, a corner of south west London now commonly known as Korea Town, thanks to a large proportion of the UK’s small Korean community – numbering 45,000 – settling there. |
| It was a comfortable childhood, but her mother’s poor English meant Kwon had to deal with things like council tax and doctors. Teenage magazines, Sue Townsend books and Mr and Mrs Robertson, who coached her in extra maths and English, helped her to integrate into British society, and as a teenager she rebelled against Korean culture. “There were certain expectations I rejected,” Kwon explains, from attending Korean Catholic church, to getting married and dressing a certain way. She now lives in the London borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, works in the media and has a diverse range of friends across the capital and in Korea. Yet ask her today if she feels more British or Korean, and she says: “I couldn’t split the two. It would be like chopping off a hand.” | |
| A few years ago Kwon decided to run as a local councillor, having coming late to politics. She joined the Labour party in 2014, and the following year became an active member of her local branch in Hammersmith and Fulham, where she had lived for six years. | A few years ago Kwon decided to run as a local councillor, having coming late to politics. She joined the Labour party in 2014, and the following year became an active member of her local branch in Hammersmith and Fulham, where she had lived for six years. |
| She says it took her so long to get into politics partly because she couldn’t vote until her mid 20s, when she became a British citizen. Until 2010, she didn’t feel she needed to do anything as she thought that the right people where in charge. Then, she says, things changed. “I thought, ‘I’m finally grown up, I pay my taxes and I’m very upset about austerity’ (although it didn’t really affect me). I was also worried about the local Charing Cross hospital, which was threatened with being closed or downgraded. I knew a Labour leadership election was coming up and I didn’t think they had the right leader at the time.” She backed Liz Kendall in the leadership contest that saw Jeremy Corbyn sweep to victory. | She says it took her so long to get into politics partly because she couldn’t vote until her mid 20s, when she became a British citizen. Until 2010, she didn’t feel she needed to do anything as she thought that the right people where in charge. Then, she says, things changed. “I thought, ‘I’m finally grown up, I pay my taxes and I’m very upset about austerity’ (although it didn’t really affect me). I was also worried about the local Charing Cross hospital, which was threatened with being closed or downgraded. I knew a Labour leadership election was coming up and I didn’t think they had the right leader at the time.” She backed Liz Kendall in the leadership contest that saw Jeremy Corbyn sweep to victory. |
| Locally, the Labour party was very welcoming, she adds. “They had just won back control of Hammersmith and Fulham, which had been David Cameron’s flagship Tory council, so there was lots of enthusiam and hope.” | Locally, the Labour party was very welcoming, she adds. “They had just won back control of Hammersmith and Fulham, which had been David Cameron’s flagship Tory council, so there was lots of enthusiam and hope.” |
| Kwon threw herself into campaigning for the local hospital and against a third runway at Heathrow and when the party was looking for new ward councillors she put herself forward, although she assumed someone as new to politics as herself didn’t stand a chance. “Turns out they liked the fact I was an active member of the party, Korean and a woman,” she says. She was selected for her own Ravenscourt Park ward to stand in the 2018 local elections. The ward had been Conservative for 12 years, but had voted 80% remain in the 2016 EU referendum, so was a target for both Labour and the Lib Dems. | Kwon threw herself into campaigning for the local hospital and against a third runway at Heathrow and when the party was looking for new ward councillors she put herself forward, although she assumed someone as new to politics as herself didn’t stand a chance. “Turns out they liked the fact I was an active member of the party, Korean and a woman,” she says. She was selected for her own Ravenscourt Park ward to stand in the 2018 local elections. The ward had been Conservative for 12 years, but had voted 80% remain in the 2016 EU referendum, so was a target for both Labour and the Lib Dems. |
| “I took my mother to the count in the town hall. We heard at 2am that we’d won. It was very dramatic. All three Labour candidates were elected. I cried when the results were read out,” she recalls. Kwon holds the title of the first British Korean councillor by 12 hours; shortly after her victory, Jaesung Ha was elected as a Lib Dem councillor in New Malden. | “I took my mother to the count in the town hall. We heard at 2am that we’d won. It was very dramatic. All three Labour candidates were elected. I cried when the results were read out,” she recalls. Kwon holds the title of the first British Korean councillor by 12 hours; shortly after her victory, Jaesung Ha was elected as a Lib Dem councillor in New Malden. |
| Kwon says it never occurred to her to stand in the ward where she’d grown up with a predominantly Korean population. But a letter she received from a Korean women living in another borough who was having problems with her benefits made Kwon aware that she is a Korean councillor as well as a Ravenscourt Park one. “I couldn’t help her because I’m not her councillor, so I passed it on to her local Labour MP. But if there are things I can do to help the Korean community, I will. I’m afraid that many older Koreans don’t ask for help. It’s an ageing population, but most don’t want to make a fuss and will try and sort out issues within the community,” she says. | Kwon says it never occurred to her to stand in the ward where she’d grown up with a predominantly Korean population. But a letter she received from a Korean women living in another borough who was having problems with her benefits made Kwon aware that she is a Korean councillor as well as a Ravenscourt Park one. “I couldn’t help her because I’m not her councillor, so I passed it on to her local Labour MP. But if there are things I can do to help the Korean community, I will. I’m afraid that many older Koreans don’t ask for help. It’s an ageing population, but most don’t want to make a fuss and will try and sort out issues within the community,” she says. |
| The last few weeks have been difficult for those with friends and family in Korea with the spread of the coronavirus. Kwon’s brother, who lives there and presents a daily radio show, has had to postpone his wedding, but no one she knows in the country – which has been testing 20,000 people a day – has tested positive. It now has more recoveries than new infections. | The last few weeks have been difficult for those with friends and family in Korea with the spread of the coronavirus. Kwon’s brother, who lives there and presents a daily radio show, has had to postpone his wedding, but no one she knows in the country – which has been testing 20,000 people a day – has tested positive. It now has more recoveries than new infections. |
| Are there any lessons for the UK? “The Korean response is best summed up as ‘panic and act fast’. Korea took the virus incredibly seriously from the start. The country is very agile and dynamic in the way that it responds to events. The British government looks slow in comparison, but I’m not an expert,” she replies. | Are there any lessons for the UK? “The Korean response is best summed up as ‘panic and act fast’. Korea took the virus incredibly seriously from the start. The country is very agile and dynamic in the way that it responds to events. The British government looks slow in comparison, but I’m not an expert,” she replies. |
| Diagnosed with type 2 diabetes five years ago, Kwon has an interest in lifestyle and health and sits on the council’s health and social care committee. She has enrolled on a pilot for a year-long weight loss and diet restriction programme, and hopes to be medication-free by the end of it. As editor-in-chief of a news aggregation app, she is also concerned about value for money of digital technology and the NHSShe also chairs the community safety and environment policy and accountability committee, which scrutinises and forms policy at public meetings on issues dear to her heart, such as green spaces and transport. | Diagnosed with type 2 diabetes five years ago, Kwon has an interest in lifestyle and health and sits on the council’s health and social care committee. She has enrolled on a pilot for a year-long weight loss and diet restriction programme, and hopes to be medication-free by the end of it. As editor-in-chief of a news aggregation app, she is also concerned about value for money of digital technology and the NHSShe also chairs the community safety and environment policy and accountability committee, which scrutinises and forms policy at public meetings on issues dear to her heart, such as green spaces and transport. |
| She is backing Keir Starmer in the current Labour leadership campaign. “He is the leader the party needs at the moment. I want us to be a really good opposition. I don’t want any legislation to go without forensic scrutiny.” Asked if she hopes to be a cabinet member, or an MP one day, she replies: “I don’t have a grand master plan. I’d like to get re-elected as a councillor in 2022 and then see what happens.” | She is backing Keir Starmer in the current Labour leadership campaign. “He is the leader the party needs at the moment. I want us to be a really good opposition. I don’t want any legislation to go without forensic scrutiny.” Asked if she hopes to be a cabinet member, or an MP one day, she replies: “I don’t have a grand master plan. I’d like to get re-elected as a councillor in 2022 and then see what happens.” |
| As for a Korean role model – maybe a Parasite actor or a K-pop star? “I’ve been mistaken for the US-Korean comedian Margaret Cho, but it has to be Ban Ki-moon, the former UN secretary general. Why? He was clearly very calm and capable,” she says. | As for a Korean role model – maybe a Parasite actor or a K-pop star? “I’ve been mistaken for the US-Korean comedian Margaret Cho, but it has to be Ban Ki-moon, the former UN secretary general. Why? He was clearly very calm and capable,” she says. |
| high school; London School of Economics, BSc psychology & philosophy; NCTJ diploma in newspaper journalism. | high school; London School of Economics, BSc psychology & philosophy; NCTJ diploma in newspaper journalism. |
| Career: August 2018-present: head of editorial, Upday UK (news aggregation app exclusive to Samsung phones); Feb 2016-July 2018: news editor, Upday UK; 2011-2016: beauty & fragrance editor, Tank Publications and Tank Form creative agency; 2010-11: UK marketing and brand manager, MCM luxury fashion brand; 2008-10: English teacher, Hyeonsan middle school, Ilsan, South Korea; 2005-08: poject manager and fashion production, Tank Publications and Form. | Career: August 2018-present: head of editorial, Upday UK (news aggregation app exclusive to Samsung phones); Feb 2016-July 2018: news editor, Upday UK; 2011-2016: beauty & fragrance editor, Tank Publications and Tank Form creative agency; 2010-11: UK marketing and brand manager, MCM luxury fashion brand; 2008-10: English teacher, Hyeonsan middle school, Ilsan, South Korea; 2005-08: poject manager and fashion production, Tank Publications and Form. |
| Public life: councillor, Ravenscourt Park ward for Hammersmith & Fulham (chair, community safety and environment policy and accountability committee; member, health and social care committee) | Public life: councillor, Ravenscourt Park ward for Hammersmith & Fulham (chair, community safety and environment policy and accountability committee; member, health and social care committee) |
| board member, Lyric Theatre; governor, Flora Gardens primary school, Hammersmith. | board member, Lyric Theatre; governor, Flora Gardens primary school, Hammersmith. |
| Interests: cinema, health issues, walking, yoga, running, beauty industry. | Interests: cinema, health issues, walking, yoga, running, beauty industry. |