Q: Please introduce and share a little bit about yourself.
With pleasure. I am Min-Ju Lee. And my position is VNPUS sales and marketing staff. My day-to-day job is to check OAL fare/regulations and compare them with those of Vietnam. That way, we know the market situation and can better prepare for future development. Also, I am now working on the SNS team to manage all the posts on our SNS page in the Korean market. As a team member, I take this responsibility very carefully.
During this hard time (because of COVID-19), official and accurate information should be communicated to the customer more often. It will then lead to both added attention and consumption from potential customers.
To tell you more about myself and my hobbies, I usually watch a lot of movies at home after finishing work. Comedy movies are my favorite for relieving stress. My favorite thing to do is to go for hikes or nature walks. I can’t wait for the weather to warm up! There are many great walking paths in Busan.
Q: How long have you been working with VNA? Would you please share with us how your career path brought you here and what has inspired you the most during your time with the company?
I joined VNA last June, and I’ve now been working here for a total of 9 months. Before this, I was a ground crew member at Gimhae International Airport. I used to work for Korean Air, but I worked with other international airlines as well. One of them was VNA.
I was impressed at the level of professionalism from all of the VNA employees. Above all, they look to take obvious pride in their work. So, I was interested in VNA and applied because I thought I would fit in well with their company values and enjoy working with them. The healthy style of communication within the company and with the team members makes for better decisions and provides me with a good source of motivation for working with VNA.
Q: Would you please describe a typical working day at the office? And would you like to share any memories that stick out to you from your time with VNA?
I do a variety of things at VNA. I’m sharing new information about the airline industry and checking reservations for series and non-series block (checking reservations) every day. As I eluded to earlier, the most important task I’m doing is checking out the OAL fares and comparing them with the VN fare. In doing this, we can prepare and offer more competitive fares. I’m still continually learning a lot because I still have less than a year of experience at VNA.
A few impactful memories come to mind when you ask me that question. I think a standout memory for me was the PUS-DAD ceremony.
Last July, I had prepared the new operation ceremony for the flight from Busan to Danang. It was about a month since I had first joined VNA, so it was a really meaningful event for me, as I wanted to do an excellent job and show everyone what I was capable of. I was nervous because I was standing and talking in front of a lot of people, and sometimes public speaking can be intimidating. As a host, I finished the ceremony without making any big mistakes. So, I am able to recall that experience fondly.
Ms. Min-Ju Lee was helping customer in an event at Busan International Travel Fair. (Photo: VNKR).
Q: Do you know much about International Women’s Day? Do people in Korea have any special activities to celebrate this day?
Although it is a recognized holiday in Korea, I didn’t know much about International Women’s Day. So I did some research on the internet. In Korea, there are some exhibitions held on Women’s Day. Many of these exhibitions feature pictures showing the lives of female workers and women’s rights activists. There’s also a TV documentary about the history of this day. I think these activities are a good way to promote the importance and meaning behind International Women’s Day.
Q: Would you kindly share some of your work/life goals?
First of all, in my job, I would like to promote VNA to the Korean market and raise awareness of the company and its quality flight services to potential customers. Koreans tend to stick to their national airlines like Korean Air or Asiana Airlines. So, I want to show that foreign airlines are also providing excellent service and safe flights. My goal is to communicate with many customers through SNS. That way, VNA can attract further interest from the people of Korea – leading to more stability and beneficial numbers for the airline.
Q: Do you think the celebration on this day (8th March) is necessary, or should it be ignored with the goal of accelerating gender parity?
It is my belief that we need to celebrate International Women’s Day. I know the historical importance of why this day has been designated as a holiday and a day of homage for women’s rights. Of course, women’s rights have improved a lot since this day was first established. But it is necessary to honor this day for those who have worked so hard for women’s rights, as honoring this day honors their efforts.
“I can’t wait for the weather to warm up! There are many great walking paths in Busan”. (Photo: VNKR).
Q: What do you think about women’s rights in your country and in your office environment?
I don’t think there is much discrimination against female workers in Korea. But I heard that female workers are often treated or portrayed unfairly by the mass media. Korean female workers worry a lot about going back to work after giving birth and taking maternity leave. This is because some companies still think that maternity leave is a financial liability for the company. But most believe that this is a legitimate and essential social provision. There are many employees who go back to work after maternity leave at VNA in the Korea branch. I think it means that the company is providing enough support for its female staff in that regard.
Q: What are your thoughts about the COVID-19 epidemic? How does it affect your daily life/your work?
COVID-19 is the most important issue in Korea now. The fatality rate is not high, but the infection seems to be spreading quickly in our country. So, most people are reluctant to go out of their homes. I often feel the same. People are avoiding going to public places like airports because they want to avoid the potential risk of infection. So everyone is waiting for the situation to calm down. As a VNA employee, all staff members are trying to handle this situation with various methods such as controlling fares and sharing correct and verifiable information about the illness. I am in charge of the SNS team. The most important thing right now is to keep my people informed about the COVID-19 situation in Vietnam and prove to them that Vietnam is currently safe from COVID-19 by explaining the precautionary measures that the airline and the Vietnamese government have so successfully implemented. This is my work priority nowadays.
