Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Reports to President on December 19
Expansion from 8 Ministries to All Government Departments
Introduction of Employment Equality and Wage Disclosure System in Public and Private Sectors
Development of AI System for Identifying At-Risk Youth
Easing Eligibility Criteria for Childcare Services
President Lee Jaemyung, during a work report from the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, pointed out that the price of sanitary pads in Korea is higher than abroad and called for countermeasures. He also mentioned the need to block overseas online sites that are hotbeds for digital sex crimes, suggesting that the 'Transnational Crime Task Force' address this issue as well.
On December 19, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family presented its 'Major Work Implementation Plan' to President Lee Jaemyung at the Government Complex Seoul. Under the vision of "A Korea Built Together, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family by Everyone's Side," the ministry selected ten key tasks across four areas to achieve three main goals: "Equal Everyday Life, Safe Living, and a Future of Shared Growth."
During the work report, President Lee said, "I hear that many people purchase sanitary pads directly from overseas because they are too expensive in Korea," and asked, "Why are they so expensive?" When Minister Won Minkyoung and other ministry officials mentioned value-added tax at the manufacturing and distribution stages, President Lee repeatedly asked, "Aren't these products exempt from VAT? Are there additional taxes applied in the middle? Don't other countries have such taxes?"
President Lee continued, "It seems to me that domestic companies are taking excessive profits by abusing a kind of monopolistic position," and added, "If, after looking into the matter, the selling price is excessively higher than the production cost, I am considering allowing imports without tariffs to foster real competition."
Regarding digital sex crimes, President Lee stressed the need to block overseas sites where sexual exploitation videos are uploaded. He asked, "I hear that most of these sites are hosted on overseas servers. Is it not possible to block these sites under the current system?"
When Cho Yongsu, Director of Safety and Human Rights Policy at the ministry, explained, "According to the Korea Communications Standards Commission's review criteria, a site can only be blocked if more than 70% of its content is pornographic," President Lee responded, "That makes no sense. What is the basis for that?" After being told it was the commission's own standard, President Lee instructed, "Ask the commission to request a block even if only some of the content is pornographic, and if that is not possible, take measures to block the entire site."
Furthermore, President Lee said, "We have already decided to address drugs, voice phishing, scams, and gambling through the Transnational Crime Task Force. Why not add sexual exploitation videos to the list as well?"
Expanding Gender Equality and Strengthening Response to Sex Crimes
First, the ministry will push to reorganize the 'Gender Equality Committee' to strengthen its coordination and oversight of gender equality policies across all government departments. In addition, the current gender equality policy officers, who are stationed in eight ministries, will be gradually expanded to all ministries starting next year. The ministry will also expand regional gender equality centers to strengthen accountability for gender equality in policy and foster gender-equal environments in local areas.
To narrow the gender perception gap, a new public forum called the 'Youth Coexistence and Empathy Network,' where the younger generation can directly participate in policymaking, will be launched next year.
To reduce gender disparities in the labor market, the current 'gender-based employment disclosure system,' which is being piloted in the public sector, will be expanded to the private sector and reformed as the 'employment equality and wage disclosure system.' By systematically releasing data on gender-based wages and employment structures, the ministry aims to encourage voluntary efforts by companies to reduce the gender wage gap. Legal grounds and systems will be established by 2026, with phased implementation in both public and private sectors.
The ministry will also work to provide comprehensive protection and support against digital sex crimes. The staff of the Central Digital Sex Crime Victim Support Center will be increased from 33 this year to 43 next year. The system for detecting and deleting illegal recordings will be further advanced. Regional centers will also see increased staffing to strengthen support for victims, including counseling, legal and medical assistance, and accompaniment during investigations.
Led by the ministry, a constant cooperation system will be established with the police and other relevant agencies to enable in-depth analysis of distribution trends, rapid blocking of illegal content, and strong responses to illegal acts. The ministry also plans to establish a 'Digital Sex Crime Victim Integrated Support Unit' (tentative name) to ensure integrated support for victims.
For victims at high risk of repeat dating violence, a joint monitoring system between the police and domestic violence counseling centers will be operated from the first half of next year. The ministry will also push to amend the anti-stalking law to provide grounds for supporting the deletion of personal information related to stalking that spreads online, even if it does not constitute a digital sex crime.
Advanced Identification of At-Risk Youth...Even in the Digital Sphere
To quickly identify at-risk youth, the ministry will develop a new 'AI-based Risk Detection System.' The number of online counselors for the 1388 counseling service will be increased so that youth experiencing crises such as suicidal impulses or violence can quickly receive counseling and rescue services.
To help out-of-home youth achieve independence, a new 'Growth Workplace' program will be launched next year to provide job experience and other support. For out-of-school youth, services such as new support for mock college entrance exam fees and expanded meal support will be strengthened.
A 'reporting channel' will be operated so that youth, who frequently use digital and media in their daily lives, can directly monitor and report illegal or harmful online information. A new 'Digital Citizenship Education Program' will also be developed and piloted at youth facilities to help young people build essential skills for digital media use, such as personal information protection and responsible use of AI.
In addition, international youth exchange activities, which were suspended last year, will resume. Moving away from the previous visit-and-experience format, the program will now be operated as a 'joint project' where youth directly plan and follow up on activities centered on international issues such as climate change.
Toward a Family-Friendly Society...Strengthening Support for Childcare and Caregiving
The government will ease eligibility criteria for public childcare services to expand support for childcare and caregiving. For vulnerable households such as single-parent families, government-supported hours will be increased to ensure there are no gaps in care. To attract more childcare workers, the care allowance will be raised by 5% to improve working conditions, and a national qualification system for childcare workers and a registration system for private care service providers will be implemented starting April next year.
The income threshold for single-parent families to receive welfare benefits will be raised from 63% to 65% of the median income to ease their financial burden for child-rearing.
In response to the growing number of immigrants, the ministry will introduce special support measures so that children and youth from immigrant backgrounds, not just those from multicultural families, can access support services. Family centers will assign dedicated managers for families with immigrant backgrounds and expand services such as language education, basic learning, and career planning for children and youth from immigrant backgrounds.
Minister Won stated, "We will fulfill our strengthened role as the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family by realizing substantive equality, eliminating gender gaps, supporting victims of gender-based violence, and thoroughly implementing youth and family policies. We will further strengthen cooperation with relevant agencies and maintain ongoing communication with the public to ensure that our policies deliver real results on the ground."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
