[Yoon Seok-yeol Elected] The 'Ministry of Gender Equality Abolition Theory' Ignited by Yoon May Face Obstacles Starting from Legal Amendments

Multiple Declarations to Abolish Ministry of Gender Equality
Possibility of Government Reorganization by Transition Committee
Democratic Party's Opposition as Major Opposition Party Anticipated

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] With the election of Yoon Seok-yeol, the People Power Party candidate, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, which was launched as the Ministry of Women in 2001, faces the crossroads of existence after 20 years. President-elect Yoon has repeatedly pledged to abolish the ministry, and the policy pledge book of the People Power Party's election campaign headquarters explicitly states the 'abolition of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family.' It is expected that discussions in some form will be inevitable in the future, including at the Presidential Transition Committee.

According to political circles on the 10th, the prevailing view is that abolishing the ministry will not be easy at present. The amendment to the Government Organization Act must be passed, and since the ruling party currently holds a majority of seats, reaching an agreement in the National Assembly is not straightforward. Given the razor-thin margin of victory within about 1 percentage point, there is also considerable burden in putting the sharp 'gender conflict' issue at the forefront of the new government.

On the 9th, the day of the 20th presidential election, voters are lining up at Yeomni-dong 2nd polling station set up at Hanseo Elementary School in Mapo-gu, Seoul. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

In particular, in the recent presidential election exit polls, President-elect Yoon was relatively weaker than candidate Lee Jae-myung in support among women aged 20 to 50. According to exit polls by three broadcasting companies, except for women aged 60 and over (Yoon 45.8%, Lee 31.3%), women in all other age groups showed higher support for candidate Lee than for Yoon. Among women under 20, 58%; women in their 30s, 49.7%; women in their 40s, 60%; and women in their 50s, 50.1% supported candidate Lee more than President-elect Yoon.

The Democratic Party has consistently criticized President-elect Yoon's pledge to abolish the ministry, accusing him of "politics that divide the people by gender." Professor Shin Yul of Myongji University predicted, "With local elections scheduled soon, it is impossible not to be conscious of the female vote, and although the pledge to abolish the ministry is mentioned, it is unlikely to gain momentum." Professor Hong Sung-soo of Sookmyung Women's University said, "A revision of the Government Organization Act is necessary to abolish the ministry, but with the Democratic Party holding the majority of seats, it is questionable whether discussions on restructuring the ministry will proceed smoothly."

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol is performing an uppercut ceremony to supporters in front of the People Power Party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 10th. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

The abolition of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family became a key pledge, serving as a driving force behind the rise in President-elect Yoon's approval ratings. In January, he posted the seven words "abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family" on his Facebook, adding, "We will promote the establishment of a new ministry that comprehensively addresses issues related to children, families, and population decline, rather than dividing by gender."

In the third TV debate hosted by the Central Election Commission on the 2nd, he pointed out that the ministry had been lukewarm in responding to power-related sexual crimes, which had provoked public opinion for its abolition. After the debate, he told reporters, "The ministry played a role in changing laws and systems related to past discrimination, but now its time has come to an end," emphasizing, "The state must establish a different organization to firmly protect women and those whose human rights and rights have been violated."

However, he has not presented specific alternatives for other organizational reforms to replace the abolition of the ministry. The campaign headquarters stated in a related press release, "We will abolish the ministry that produces many unfair policies focused on 'women' preferential policies rather than 'family'-first policies," and only mentioned plans to "establish a separate ministry that can re-examine the value of 'family' and pursue fair competition for youth."