Ministry of Gender Equality to Maintain Functions Temporarily
New Political Affairs Minister Established for Communication Between Presidential Office and Ruling and Opposition Parties
Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs, Education Ministry → Minister of Population Strategy Planning
Granted 'Budget Allocation and Adjustment Functions,' Serving as Control Tower Role
The government is pushing to establish a new ministry called the ‘Population Strategy Planning Department’ through amendments to the Government Organization Act to address low birth rates. The plan is to create a deputy prime minister-level ministry with budget review authority to control population-related projects across various ministries. Additionally, a political affairs minister will be established to strengthen communication functions between the government and the National Assembly. The previously proposed 'abolition of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family' has been excluded from this organizational reform plan, and its existing functions will be maintained.
Deputy Prime Minister-level Ministry with Budget Allocation Authority
On the morning of the 1st, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and related ministries held a joint briefing at the Government Seoul Office to announce the ‘Government Organization Reform Plan’ containing these details.
The government plans to establish the Population Strategy Planning Department, a deputy prime minister-level ministry that can comprehensively cover population policies including low birth rates, aging society, workforce, and immigration. The idea is to have a ministry with a social deputy prime minister that acts as a control tower responsible for planning, evaluation, and budget allocation and coordination related to population policies. However, detailed policies and projects will be handled by each ministry (Ministry of Health and Welfare, Ministry of Employment and Labor, Ministry of Gender Equality and Family), while the Population Strategy Planning Department will take charge of broad strategic and planning functions.
To this end, the population-related strategic tasks previously handled by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Economy and Finance will be transferred to the Population Strategy Planning Department. This new department will have newly established functions for investigation, analysis, evaluation, and budget allocation and coordination. It will be responsible for preliminary investigation and analysis of low birth rate projects in each ministry and budget allocation. Also, the social deputy prime minister position will be changed from the current Minister of Education to the Minister of the Population Strategy Planning Department. The Ministry of Education will be reassigned to assist the social deputy prime minister.
To establish the new ministry, the government will also push for amendments to the Government Organization Act and the Framework Act on Low Birth Rate and Aging Society. The government plans to propose the amended bills within this month. Amendments to the Government Organization Act are necessary to create the new ministry and adjust functions between ministries. Furthermore, with the amendment to the Framework Act on Low Birth Rate and Aging Society, the current Presidential Committee on Low Birth Rate and Aging Society will be changed to an advisory committee under the Minister of the Population Strategy Planning Department. The name will be changed to the ‘Population Crisis Response Committee.’
The policy scope, previously limited to ‘low birth rate and aging society,’ will be expanded to cover ‘responses to population structure changes.’ This will broadly include immigration and housing support policies. The committee, which previously consisted mainly of government officials and experts, will also include policy demanders such as youth and parenting parents.
The Abolished Political Affairs Minister Position is Revived
The amendment to the Government Organization Act also includes the establishment of a political affairs minister. The political affairs minister is a cabinet member appointed by the president to carry out designated tasks and serves as a communicator delivering the president’s messages to both ruling and opposition parties.
The political affairs minister position started as a minister without portfolio in the 1970s and was called the political affairs minister during the administrations of Presidents Jeon Du-hwan, Roh Tae-woo, and Kim Young-sam. It reappeared under the Lee Myung-bak administration as a ‘special minister’ but was abolished during the Park Geun-hye administration.
'Abolition of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family' Excluded, Functions Maintained for the Time Being
President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol reiterated his pledge to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, stating, "Hasn't the ministry fulfilled its historical mission by now?" Meanwhile, on the 14th, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family at the Government Seoul Office, facing a crossroads regarding its existence, is stirring unrest amid a restless atmosphere. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@
The previously proposed abolition of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, submitted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety in 2022, was not included in this reform plan. That bill was discarded as the 21st National Assembly session ended.
Under the current reform plan, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family is expected to remain with its existing functions. Kim Jeong-gi, Director of the Organization Bureau at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, stated during the briefing Q&A, "The plan to transfer the functions of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family is not included in this government organization reform plan," and added, "The issue of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family will continue to be discussed and reviewed within the government."
The scale of budget pre-allocation and coordination to be handled by the Population Strategy Planning Department has not yet been determined. Choi Han-kyung, Secretary-General of the Low Birth Rate and Aging Society Committee Secretariat, explained, "The scope of the pre-review budget will be defined by presidential decree within the bill, and we are reviewing various projects such as work-family balance, care, and housing," adding, "The scope will be determined."
The new ministry is expected to be established about three months after the law passes. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety responded, "Once the law is passed, there is a three-month grace period."
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