[2022 National Audit] Jo Gyu-hong "It Is More Efficient for One Ministry to Handle Population and Family Policies"

Cho Kyu-hong, the newly appointed Minister of Health and Welfare, is attending the National Assembly's audit of the Ministry of Health and Welfare held on the 5th, responding to questions from lawmakers. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-won] Cho Kyu-hong, Minister of Health and Welfare, expressed the opinion that it would be more efficient for the main functions of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family to be integrated into the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

Minister Cho made this remark on the 5th during the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee's audit session, in response to a question from Nam In-soon, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, regarding a scenario where the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family is abolished through government reorganization and a Population and Family Headquarters is newly established within the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

Minister Cho said, "Population policies, which were handled by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, require coordination and discussion among multiple ministries, so family policies and population policies need to be linked together," adding, "It would be more efficient and effective if managed by one ministry."

On the 3rd, the government and the ruling party held a high-level party-government meeting and announced that they would soon prepare and announce a government reorganization plan, including the abolition of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, which was a campaign pledge of President Yoon Suk-yeol. It is known that a plan is being considered to dismantle the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and transfer its main functions, such as population policy, to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, establishing a headquarters within the ministry.

Regarding this, Representative Nam argued, "The abolition of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family could lead to setbacks in women's rights and gender equality policies, so the functions and status of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family should be strengthened," and added, "Rather, when reorganizing the government, to strengthen the role as a control tower for population policy, the possibility of the Minister of Health and Welfare concurrently serving as Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs should be discussed."