[Profile] Minister of Gender Equality and Family Nominee Won Min-kyung: Expert in Women's and Family Law

Former Human Rights Commissioner
Attorney Won Minkyoung Nominated as Minister of Gender Equality and Family
Expert in Women's and Family Law with Extensive Field Experience

On August 13, Won Min-kyung (53), an attorney specializing in women's and family law, was nominated as the Minister of Gender Equality and Family under the Lee Jae-myung administration. She has long been active in the field of women's rights.

Born in Seoul, Won graduated from Jungang Girls' High School and the Department of Law at Yonsei University. She passed the 40th National Bar Examination in 1998 and completed the 30th class of the Judicial Research and Training Institute in 2001. Since July of last year, she has served as a non-standing commissioner at the National Human Rights Commission of Korea.

Won previously chaired the Women's Rights Committee of Lawyers for a Democratic Society. She has also served as an advisory member at the Korea Sexual Violence Relief Center, head of operations at the women's rights center Boda, and board member at Asia Women Bridge Durundurun. Currently, she is a board member of Korea Women's Hotline and has participated in the Monitoring Committee of the Central Support Center for Prevention of Prostitution and the Sexual Harassment Grievance Committee at Seoul Metro, among others.

During her tenure as committee chair at Lawyers for a Democratic Society, she criticized the lack of proper enforcement and punishment for prostitution brokers. After the 2021 death of an Air Force sexual harassment victim, she led a subcommittee under the Ministry of National Defense's joint civilian-military committee to prevent secondary victimization, strengthen victim support, and improve sexual violence prevention education.

In December of last year, she submitted an urgent agenda request to the National Human Rights Commission, calling for a direct investigation into human rights violations during the martial law crisis. In February of this year, she held an emergency press conference demanding the withdrawal of the Commission's resolution related to the impeachment trial of former President Yoon Suk-yeol.

▲ Seoul (53 years old) ▲ Yonsei University, Department of Law ▲ 30th class, Judicial Research and Training Institute ▲ Law firm Won ▲ Chair, Women's Rights Committee, Lawyers for a Democratic Society ▲ Board member, Korea Women's Hotline ▲ Non-standing commissioner, National Human Rights Commission of Korea