[W Frontier] Kim Sang-hee, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, "If Women Do Not Participate in Politics, Achieving a Gender-Equal Society Is Difficult"

Kim Sang-hee, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly. Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Hyun-joo] "I believe it is difficult to achieve a gender-equal society if women do not participate in politics. Politics plays the most important role in resolving conflicts in our society and enabling society to grow and develop together. Politics is the area where women's participation is the most vulnerable, so I will realize this through electoral law reform to encourage more women to take an interest and participate."

On the 26th, Kim Sang-hee, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, stated this in an interview with Asia Economy ahead of the 10th Asia Women Leaders Forum, saying, "I will soon propose a resolution for the realization of a gender-equal National Assembly."

In the 21st National Assembly, the number of female lawmakers in South Korea is 57, the highest ever, but the ratio is 19%, ranking 119th globally according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), placing it in the lower tier worldwide. Deputy Speaker Kim diagnosed that if politics continues to neglect the underrepresentation of women, it could threaten the development of democracy. He explained, "Equal representation of women and men is a fundamental principle for equal representative democracy. Just as the 50% quota for female proportional representation in the 17th general election had a very positive impact on women's real political participation and the development of our politics, it is necessary to continue this."

In the 15th National Assembly, there were only 9 female lawmakers (3%), but with the mandatory 50% female nomination for proportional representation, the number increased significantly to 39 (13%) in the 17th National Assembly.

Deputy Speaker Kim emphasized that to correct the tilted playing field in politics, improvements must be made through institutional mandates. He said, "Some call increasing women's representation a 'female privilege,' but women have been so underrepresented that the current system cannot naturally increase it. We need a large-scale institutional transformation to raise women's representation."

Resolution for Gender Equality to be Proposed Soon
Female Lawmakers at 19%, Low Ranking in IPU
Over 30% Recommendation for District Nominations Required
Discrimination Not Direct but Due to Lack of Mainstreaming
Regret Over Gender Conflict Frame Attacks

The most effective method is nominating women. Deputy Speaker Kim said, "Following the proportional representation female nominations, laws and systems should actively promote mandatory recommendations of at least 30% women in district National Assembly elections," adding that this will be included in the resolution for realizing a gender-equal National Assembly. Currently, the 30% female ratio in district nominations is only a recommendation. However, Deputy Speaker Kim stated that if one gender is below 40%, it cannot be representative.

This resolution will also include mandatory district nomination requirements and efforts to ensure that the ratio of women among National Assembly standing committee chairs and secretaries is at least 30%. Additionally, it plans to establish a National Assembly Gender Equality Code of Ethics prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual violence, discriminatory remarks, hate speech, and bullying, and to form an all-female 'Women Lawmakers General Assembly' as a bipartisan body for gender-equal legislation and gender-responsive budget review.

Having served four terms, Deputy Speaker Kim has witnessed gender discrimination. He said, "Although there have been female party leaders and floor leaders, women were always 'outsiders.'" He added, "In the National Assembly, women were not directly discriminated against but were discriminated against by not being mainstreamed." Women, who were relatively less connected by hometown, school, or background compared to men, were easily marginalized among men who used these connections, and those who were not marginalized were seen as 'outstanding women.' He continued, "Women are not institutionally discriminated against in politics, but they are subtly pushed aside. There is a 'clique culture,' and many male lawmakers felt uncomfortable with women," he recalled.

Kim Sang-hee, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly. Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

The 'MeToo movement' triggered two years ago was a turning point in raising awareness of violence against women, but there are recent concerns. Feminism backlash is one of them. Deputy Speaker Kim said, "Attacks on feminism and women are being framed as so-called 'gender conflicts,'" adding, "The current phenomena are not gender conflicts but side effects and a kind of backlash arising from the challenge toward gender equality, but because this is being exaggerated, there are some difficult situations."

To resolve such conflicts, Deputy Speaker Kim believes that the political sphere should not dismiss them as 'gender conflicts' but create policies that allow men and women to compete fairly and coexist without discrimination. He said, "The political sphere should not respond by abolishing the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family because of gender conflicts," and explained, "The political sphere's role is to consider solutions and implement policies on how to share various social resources, which the older generation has taken for granted and enjoyed, with the younger generation facing inequality."

Deputy Speaker Kim Sang-hee’s Career

▲ Current Deputy Speaker of the 21st National Assembly (first half) ▲ Current 21st National Assembly member (18th, 19th, 20th, 21st National Assembly member) ▲ 2020 Vice Chair of the Democratic Party’s COVID-19 Crisis Overcoming Committee ▲ 2019 Chair of the Democratic Party’s Committee for Expanding Women’s Political Participation ▲ 2017?2019 Inaugural Vice Chair of the Presidential Committee on Low Fertility and Aging Society under President Moon Jae-in ▲ 2012?2014 Chair of the National Assembly’s Gender Equality and Family Committee ▲ 2006?2007 Chair of the Sustainable Development Advisory Committee to President Roh Moo-hyun (Ministerial level) ▲ 1997?2005 Executive Director of Korean Women’s Minwoo Association