WP 'Yoon Seok-yeol Cabinet Mostly Male... What Are the Plans to Promote Gender Equality?' Question
President Yoon: "Fair Opportunities for Women Have Not Been Guaranteed for Long... Will Ensure More Actively"
Park Ji-won: "Reporters' Job Is to Ask Anything, This Is Democracy"
President Yoon Suk-yeol is speaking at the joint press conference between the Republic of Korea and the United States held on the 21st at the Yongsan Presidential Office Building in Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] President Yoon Suk-yeol responded to a foreign media question about the male-dominated composition of the Yoon administration's cabinet by saying, "Women have not risen much in the public service," and expressed his intention to more actively guarantee fair opportunities for women. Former National Intelligence Service Director Park Ji-won commented, "It was a witty and concise answer," but advised, "All appointments should achieve balance and harmony."
Earlier, a reporter from the Washington Post (WP) asked President Yoon during a joint press conference following the Korea-US summit on the 21st about his campaign promise to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family during the presidential election and the predominance of men in cabinet appointments, questioning, "What role do you plan to play in improving women's representation and promoting gender equality?"
In response, President Yoon said, "In the public service, for example, when it comes to cabinet ministers, women have not risen much to the positions just below that. This is because fair opportunities for women have not been actively guaranteed for a long time," answering accordingly.
Former Director Park, seeing this, mentioned on Facebook on the 22nd, "It is a journalist's job to ask anything, and that is democracy," recalling the joint press conference immediately after the 2000 Korea-US summit between then-US President Bill Clinton and President Kim Dae-jung. Initially, it was agreed that two Korean and two American reporters would each ask questions to the two leaders, but all American reporters asked President Clinton about the unrelated 'Lewinsky scandal.' At that time, Clinton initially denied but eventually admitted to having an inappropriate relationship with Monica Lewinsky, who worked as an intern at the White House.
Former Director Park recalled, "Clinton answered sincerely without a single grimace. Rather, it was President Kim Dae-jung and I, who was moderating, who were embarrassed." Park was then Minister of Culture and Tourism. He praised, "The WP reporter's question was outstanding. President Yoon also answered wittily and concisely," but urged, "However, I hope it is understood that all appointments should achieve balance and harmony."
Regarding President Yoon's answer that day, some criticized it as an acknowledgment of 'structural gender discrimination.' In response, Kang In-sun, spokesperson for the Presidential Office, explained at a briefing on the 22nd, "It is not about whether (structural gender discrimination) was acknowledged or not; he spoke immediately after hearing the question, so please see it as it is," adding, "(President Yoon's answer) expressed his intention to continue efforts to ensure women have fair opportunities." In February, when Yoon was the People Power Party's presidential candidate, he said in an interview with a media outlet, "There is no structural gender discrimination; discrimination is an individual issue."
Meanwhile, WP published an article titled "South Korea’s President Flustered by Press Question on Gender Inequality" that day, reporting, "(After being asked) President Yoon stood still for a while, then took off the earpiece for interpretation and seemed to struggle to answer," and that the interpreter hurriedly ended the press conference after President Yoon's response.
WP continued, "South Korea ranks among the lowest in advanced countries in terms of wage equality, political advancement, and economic participation between men and women," and noted, "(The pledge to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family) appeared to be courting some 'anti-feminist movement' youth opposing gender equality movements. The majority of young women voted for the progressive candidate who narrowly defeated conservative-leaning President Yoon."
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