Controversy Over "Learning Opportunity" Remarks Spreads... Civic Groups Urge Minister of Gender Equality to Resign One After Another

Minister of Gender Equality Lee Jung-ok's "Gender Sensitivity Learning Opportunity" Remarks Spark Controversy
Women's and Civic Groups Issue Statements Urging Resignation
Sexual Assault Victim of Oh Keo-don Criticizes, "Am I a Learning Material?"

Minister of Gender Equality and Family Lee Jung-ok is attending the Government Policy Coordination Meeting held at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 30th. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-yoon] Minister of Gender Equality and Family Lee Jung-ok's remark referring to next year's by-elections, held due to sexual harassment allegations against the late former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon and former Busan Mayor Oh Keo-don, as "an opportunity for the entire nation to collectively learn about gender sensitivity" has sparked intense controversy. Following criticism from both inside and outside the political sphere, civic groups have also unanimously called for the minister's resignation.

The 'Joint Action on the Seoul Mayor's Power Sexual Violence Case' (Joint Action), a coalition of women's organizations launched to uncover the truth of the former mayor's case and to eradicate secondary harm, issued a statement on the 6th criticizing Minister Lee's remarks, saying, "If the Minister of Gender Equality and Family continues to evade taking a stance by citing ongoing investigations, she must first learn her role."

Minister Lee made the controversial comment during the comprehensive policy questioning session of the National Assembly's Budget and Accounts Committee the previous day, referring to the re- and by-elections triggered by sexual harassment allegations against two local government heads as "an opportunity for collective learning about gender sensitivity."

The Joint Action criticized, "The thorough irresponsibility and disassociation of the minister in charge of preventing gender discrimination and sexual violence and protecting victims is a neglect of the victims currently fighting and a disregard for sexual violence that must be revealed and spoken about in the future."

They added, "While citizens are striving to change unjust power practices, culture, and systems through the Me Too movement era, the government and ruling party are walking the path of denial, negation, and neglect of secondary harm."

Representatives from women's organizations such as the Korea Sexual Violence Relief Center and Korea Women's Hotline held a joint action on the 28th in front of Seoul City Hall in Jung-gu, Seoul, calling for the National Human Rights Commission to conduct an ex officio investigation into the sexual violence case involving the power of the Mayor of Seoul. They marched from City Hall to the Human Rights Commission and held a press conference in front of the commission urging an ex officio investigation. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

The Civic Group for Judicial Examination Preparation (Sajunmo) also released a statement that day, saying, "We want to ask if the minister could respond this way if she or her daughter were victims of the Park Won-soon or Oh Keo-don cases," and demanded, "We hope the minister voluntarily resigns or the president dismisses her."

The Joint Countermeasure Committee on the Oh Keo-don Sexual Violence Case (hereafter the Committee), composed of 290 women's rights organizations nationwide, also issued a statement the previous day calling for the resignation of the Minister of Gender Equality and Family.

The Committee said, "Victims are not tools for teaching the public about gender sensitivity," adding, "We wonder if the head of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, who should have been leading victim protection, has been viewing sexual violence cases by institutional heads from such a perspective."

They further stated, "Is it acceptable for someone who utters remarks treating sexual violence victims as mere study materials and feels no shame to remain in a leadership position protecting women's rights? If the minister deeply acknowledges her irresponsible remarks, she should sincerely apologize to the victims and resign from her post."

Victim A of the Oh Keo-don sexual violence case also harshly criticized Minister Lee's remarks through the Committee the previous day, saying, "Calling the Oh Keo-don case a collective learning opportunity?am I then a study material? If there were even the slightest concern about how I live, such words would never be spoken."

Minister Lee apologized promptly on the afternoon of the day her remarks caused controversy during the Budget and Accounts Committee session. She also reiterated her apology before the 3rd Women's Violence Prevention Committee meeting held at the Government Seoul Office that afternoon, stating, "I sincerely and deeply apologize to the victims of sexual harassment and sexual violence cases for the unintended hurt caused by my remarks."

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