Minister Won Minkyoung Marks 50 Days in Office: "Moving Quickly to Restart the Ministry's Clock After Three Years"

Press Conference with Won Minkyoung, Inaugural Minister of Gender Equality and Family, Held on the 23rd
Morale Dampened by Three Years of "Abolish Ministry" Debate... "Now in a Period of Restoration"
"We Will Strengthen Our Role as the Control Tower Overseeing Gender Equality Policies"

"The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family has a total of 300 staff members, but we are fulfilling the roles of a 1,000-person ministry, each person doing the work of three. While both my body and mind are busy moving the hands of the ministry's clock, which had stopped for the past three years, I will move forward carefully, making sure not to let impatience lead to mistakes, and closely observing the field."

Won Minkyoung, Minister of Gender Equality and Family, made these remarks at her first press conference held at Jongno Building in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 23rd.

Approaching her 50th day in office on October 29, Minister Won pointed out that the ministry had been without a minister for the past 18 months, and that morale had been low during the previous administration's three-year-long debate over abolishing the ministry. She said, "We are currently in a period of restoration." She added, "This is not just about normalizing the organization, but about restoring trust in gender equality policies and transforming the ministry into one that meets public expectations." She emphasized, "The reason for the existence of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family is to create a society where men and women, young and old, people with and without disabilities, and people of different nationalities and languages are respected without discrimination."

Won Minkyoung, Minister of Gender Equality and Family, is answering reporters' questions at a press briefing held on the morning of the 23rd in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Ministry of Gender Equality and Family

On October 1, the ministry underwent a reorganization, including a name change and expansion, and is now operating under a system of "three offices, six bureaus, and thirty divisions." In particular, the new "Gender Equality Policy Office" was established to serve as a control tower overseeing gender equality policies. The new "Employment Equality Policy Bureau" was also created to develop policies aimed at closing the gender wage gap.

The ministry has also set goals to identify gender discrimination issues using "active employment improvement measures" and the "gender-based workplace disclosure system," and to encourage companies to voluntarily ensure fairness. Women's employment policies will take a comprehensive approach to issues such as career interruptions and the burden of childcare and caregiving, aiming to help establish gender-equal structures throughout society, including the labor market. Minister Won stated, "These changes will be the core driving force for the ministry, which must design and coordinate the government's overall gender equality values."

Minister Won also announced plans to strengthen the "gender-based violence response system." To this end, the ministry has established the "Human Rights and Safety Policy Bureau" within the Gender Equality Policy Office and created a new division dedicated to preventing intimate partner violence. Minister Won explained, "This is to proactively respond to digital sex crimes and dating violence," and added, "We will reorganize our cooperation system with relevant agencies and strengthen support for victims, building a dense, field-oriented safety net so that victims of violence can safely return to their daily lives without falling through the cracks."

To realize a "family and care-oriented society," the ministry will gradually increase the level of child support and ensure the smooth operation of the advance payment system for child support. Minister Won stated, "We will improve the treatment of child care providers, such as by raising care allowances, to enhance the quality of child care services, while also working to expand supply by utilizing regional centers and other resources." She added, "Through institutional improvements such as the introduction of the 'national qualification system' and the 'private agency registration system,' both scheduled to be implemented next year, we will establish a care service system that parents can trust and rely on."

Regarding President Lee Jaemyung's repeated emphasis on addressing the "perception of reverse discrimination among young men," Minister Won said, "The area where men feel most discriminated against is military service," and added, "We are planning to create a public forum to discuss the specific points where men feel discrimination and disadvantage, including this issue."

According to the ministry, starting on October 29, five "youth roundtables to improve gender perception gaps" will be held. The first session will diagnose the current state of gender perception gaps, and subsequent sessions will discuss the issue by region and topic.

On this day, Minister Won also stated that the term "gender conflict" should be replaced with "differences in perspective or perception" instead of "conflict."

Minister Won said, "The more we use the term 'conflict,' the more it tends to deepen," and added, "We must enable the younger generation to take the lead in closing perception gaps."

Regarding the recent Cambodia incident, Minister Won said she is closely monitoring the situation and will actively promote activities to prevent human trafficking and support victims both domestically and internationally.

The ministry is currently conducting a preliminary survey on the state of human trafficking this year and plans to carry out a full-scale survey next year. The actual state of human trafficking has not yet been fully identified. However, the ministry's case review committee has issued 34 certificates over the past three years, with 19 issued so far this year. A ministry official stated, "In the case of Cambodia, we have asked the National Police Agency and relevant agencies to actively connect any cases that could be considered 'human trafficking victims,' and for other cases or those reported in the media, we have requested that victims be guided to 'victim support' services."

Minister Won stated, "The former Ministry of Gender Equality and Family did respond to overseas prostitution and human trafficking," but added, "However, efforts by the ministry alone are not enough; there must be close cooperation with overseas embassies and the National Police Agency to achieve results." She continued, "Whether in Korea or abroad, if there are cases of hardship due to human trafficking or prostitution, please actively contact the ministry or counseling centers that support victims."