Lee Jung-ok, Minister of Gender Equality and Family, "Actively Responding to the Link Between MeToo Secondary Damage and Personnel Authority"

Focus on Blind Spots Linking Secondary Damage and Personnel Authority
Response Bills Pending... Efforts to Ensure Passage

Government Innovation Rated 'Insufficient'
"Need to Enhance Empathy for Petitioners' Urgency"

Child Support as a Civic Public Duty
Emerging into Public and Legal Domains

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] "We will actively respond by identifying the connection points between the second damage of MeToo and personnel authority."

On the 16th, Minister of Gender Equality and Family Lee Jung-ok held a luncheon meeting with reporters near Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Jongno-gu, Seoul, and responded to a question about the Ministry’s response policy following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn and remand the second trial verdict of former Ministry of Justice Prosecutor General Ahn Tae-geun, stating this.

Minister Lee, who referred to Prosecutor Seo Ji-hyun as a "small but great hero," said, "One person’s heroic case extended to School MeToo and penetrated social structural changes compared to other countries," adding, "We fundamentally respect the judiciary’s ruling. However, we pay attention to the blind spots in the link between secondary damage and personnel authority, and there is a revision bill pending in the Legislation and Judiciary Committee that can respond to this, and we will strive for its passage."

Regarding the 'Moon Hee-sang Plan' as a solution to the forced labor issue, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family stated that its position that the victim’s standpoint must be considered remains unchanged. Minister Lee explained, "Since last year, the issue has been entangled in a way that combines human rights, history, and trade," and "We maintain the basic position that we want basic human rights, the dignity of victims, restoration of dignity rather than economic compensation, and sincere apologies."

Regarding the Ministry being named as an institution with 'insufficient' performance in government innovation promotion, she said, "The degree of victim damage is very emotional, but since many complaints have time lags in their resolution, complainants do not receive satisfactory answers, which I think is why the complaint evaluation has declined," adding, "Despite structural reasons, if we try to increase empathy for the pain and urgency of complainants and seek solutions, I believe evaluations will take this into account."

On the acquittal of the operator of 'Bad Fathers,' who publicly disclosed the identities of parents who do not pay child support, Minister Lee said, "Paying child support is significant as fulfilling a civic public duty," and "The part that was treated as a private family domain and thus outside the law has now come into the public and legal domain." She added, "I have expressed opinions on various regulations such as driver's license cancellation, which was hesitant due to the private domain, and through this ruling, related ministries will also take a progressive approach."

Regarding single-person households, she emphasized, "We plan to systematize the establishment of the Basic Healthy Family Plan through a primary survey on single-person households," and "To prevent single-person households from becoming mere targets of the consumer market, we will revitalize communities and actively provide opinions by participating in the Ministry of Strategy and Finance’s task force (TF)."

Minister Lee said, "Gender equality is generation equality, expanding the issue of gender equality across generations," and "We are at a time when gender intervention is very broadly taking place, such as women leading in the economic sector and expanding women’s decision-making power in the security sector."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.