Kwon Youngguk: "Feminist President"...To Promote Legislation on Non-Consensual Rape Law

"Lee Jaemyung Criticized for Avoiding the Word 'Women'"

On May 13, Kwon Youngguk, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Labor Party, stated, "I am a feminist who dreams of a country where women are safe and respected, a country where everyone is free from gender stereotypes, and a country where no one is discriminated against because of their sexual orientation."

Kwon Youngguk, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Labor Party, is giving a speech. Democratic Labor Party

On this day, while announcing his policy pledges for women, Kwon said, "Feminism strengthens democracy," and added, "We must all become feminists."

Kwon criticized, "Lee Jaemyung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party, deliberately avoids acknowledging that women are the main actors in the public square. Kim Moonsu, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, has only one policy for women, which is the voluntary military service system. Lee Junseok, the presidential candidate of the Reform Party, has followed Yoon Sukyeol in calling for the abolition of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family."

Kwon pledged to: elevate the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family to a vice prime minister-level Ministry of Gender Equality; enact a comprehensive anti-discrimination law; promote legislation to replace the non-consensual rape law and the abortion law; abolish the principle of paternal priority in the Civil Act; eliminate the gender wage gap; and mandate a quota for female candidates in party nominations.

Kwon was selected as the candidate through the Presidential Election Solidarity Council for Social Transformation, which is composed of the Justice Party, the Labor Party, the Green Party, and civil society organizations. The Justice Party secured more than 3% of the proportional representation vote in the 2022 local elections for metropolitan councilors, thereby qualifying for participation in televised debates. Kwon is a former worker who was dismissed from Poongsan Metal, passed the bar exam in 1999, and has since worked in the labor field, including as a member of the legal team representing laid-off workers at Ssangyong Motor.