Minister Nominee Kim Hyun-sook: "Difficult to Predict Timing for Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Restructuring"

"Communication with the People, Harmony with the Opposition... Will Thoroughly Gather Opinions"

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] Kim Hyun-sook, the policy advisor nominated as the first Minister of Gender Equality and Family in the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, expressed a cautious stance regarding the timing of the ministry's reorganization.

On the 10th at 2 p.m., President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol nominated eight ministerial candidates at the Presidential Transition Committee office in Tongui-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. Among them, Kim Hyun-sook was appointed as the candidate for the Minister of Gender Equality and Family, a position that President-elect Yoon has announced plans to abolish.

At a press conference that day, Kim said, "It is difficult to predict when the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family will be reorganized into a new ministry," adding, "We will address gender conflicts and generational conflicts, and since families are diverse, including single-person households, we will shape it to fit the new era."

She continued, "Although I handled many tasks of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family while serving as the secretary of the Women and Family Committee in the 19th National Assembly, much time has passed," and added, "I plan to communicate humbly with various citizens, cooperate with the opposition party, and gather sufficient opinions to create a new ministry that can open the future."

Kim Hyun-sook served as a professor in the Department of Economics at Soongsil University and was a member of the 19th National Assembly (proportional representation). She resigned from her position during her term in 2015 and served as the Senior Secretary for Employment and Welfare in the Presidential Secretariat under the Park Geun-hye administration.

Currently, she is a policy advisor to the President-elect, responsible for the abolition of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and policies related to low birth rates and aging population.

Since President-elect Yoon pledged to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, she is expected to play a key role in future organizational restructuring, including the formation of a replacement organization.

Meanwhile, regarding Kim's appointment, President-elect Yoon stated, "During the election process, she designed family policies including demand-tailored childcare support policies without blind spots such as infant care and elementary school aftercare," and added, "Since she has been drawing the blueprint of the pledges with me from the beginning, I expect her to faithfully implement the pledges and focus on population measures and family policies."