Park Ji-hyun: "Yoon Seok-yeol promises opportunities for women while abolishing the Ministry of Gender Equality... Ignorant"

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Ju-yeon] Park Ji-hyun, co-chair of the Emergency Response Committee of the Democratic Party of Korea, criticized President Yoon Seok-yeol on the 23rd, saying, "I don't understand how you can say you will 'actively guarantee' opportunities for women while planning to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On this day, Park referred to the Q&A between President Yoon and a Washington Post reporter who asked about the 'administration's role in promoting gender equality' during the joint press conference of the Korea-US summit on her Facebook.

Park pointed out, "In the first Yoon Seok-yeol administration cabinet, there are only three women including ministers and senior secretaries, and among 41 vice ministers and vice minister-level officials, only two are women," adding, "I cannot understand how one can make a government composed almost entirely of men with almost no female vice ministers and then say without hesitation that they will improve gender equality and actively guarantee opportunities."

She criticized, "If after giving the answer, you think it doesn't make sense, then you have a conscience; if you think the answer makes sense, then you are ignorant."

Park wrote, "The joint Korea-US declaration included a mutual commitment to 'strive to guarantee women's rights,' but I worry it will become an empty echo."

She said, "Especially, the 'abolition of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family' is a measure that directly denies women's equality, safety, and rights protection," adding, "How can you realize the guarantee of women's rights when you are deleting the gender equality projects, support for victims of sexual crimes, safety protection, and support for victims of digital sexual crimes that the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family has carried out? It is also contradictory to say you will respond to online sexual violence while planning to revise the Nth Room Prevention Act citing freedom of communication secrecy."

Park emphasized, "I hope you declare now that you will fully reorganize the cabinet for gender equality. I also hope you withdraw the pledge to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family," and added, "I hope the Korea-US summit becomes an opportunity for President Yoon to newly recognize gender equality."