Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, On-Site Inspection in Seoul... "Is There a Need to Expand Investigation Authority?"

Plans to Review Preventive Education on Sexual Harassment and Violence Prevention Measures
Ministry of Gender Equality Lacks Investigation and Disciplinary Authority... Difficult to Conduct In-Depth Investigations
"Political Neutrality Challenges Make Investigation Authority Inappropriate," Critics Say

Minister of Gender Equality and Family Lee Jung-ok is deep in thought before an emergency meeting with private members of the Committee for the Prevention of Violence Against Women at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 17th. This meeting was arranged to prevent secondary harm and the recurrence of similar incidents following allegations of sexual harassment against the late former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] On the afternoon of the 28th, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family will conduct an on-site inspection at the Seoul City Hall regarding the sexual harassment allegations against the late former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon. The inspection will verify whether measures to prevent sexual harassment and sexual violence, as well as related preventive education, have been properly implemented, and will also review the current status of sexual harassment prevention guidelines and manuals.

However, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family is conducting the on-site inspection only based on indirect reports of damage due to legal limitations. The ministry does not have the authority to directly investigate or discipline the incident itself. It can only publicize the results of inadequate sexual violence prevention education inspections to the media or conduct special training to some extent.

Due to these limitations, there have been discussions in the National Assembly about allowing the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family to investigate sexual harassment acts ex officio and issue corrective orders. Jeon Hye-sook, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea and former chairperson of the Women and Family Committee in the 20th National Assembly, introduced a bill in March last year aimed at prohibiting gender discrimination and sexual harassment and providing remedies. Although the bill expired with the end of the term, there have been consistent calls within the ministry for granting investigative authority.

However, concerns have been raised that granting investigative authority to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, an executive branch agency, could be politically abused. Unlike its active involvement in the case of former Deputy Minister of Justice Kim Hak-ui and the witness claimant Yoon Ji-oh, the ministry has remained silent on recent cases involving local government heads, raising doubts about its political neutrality. The appointment authority for ministers and vice ministers lies with the president. Yang Geum-hee, a member of the Future United Party who proposed the so-called "Park Won-soon Victim Protection Act" to prevent sexual crime cases from being closed due to 'lack of prosecution,' stated, "The procedures the ministry has followed since the incident were inadequate and only moved after severe social criticism," adding, "It is inappropriate for the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, which struggles to maintain political neutrality, to have investigative authority."

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