Abolition of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family: "Failed to Respond Appropriately to Political Events" (Comprehensive)

Leisure Ministry Audit: Questions Flooded from Calls to Abolish Ministry to Refunds of Jeonguiyeon Subsidies
Minister Jeong Acknowledges 'Secondary Harm' in Response to Lawyer for Mayor Park's Bereaved Family
On Health and Welfare Act Amendment Criticizing 'Same-Sex Marriage Approval'... Jeong Young-ae Refutes, Saying "Same-Sex Marriage Not Included"

Jeong Young-ae, Minister of Gender Equality and Family, is attending the National Assembly's Gender Equality and Family Committee's audit held on the 22nd, responding to questions from lawmakers. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporters Han Jinju and Jeon Jinyoung] At the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family (MOGEF) national audit, issues ranging from calls for the ministry's abolition to secondary damage related to power-based sexual crimes and allegations of subsidy embezzlement by Assemblywoman Yoon Mee-hyang were brought to the forefront.

At the National Assembly's Gender Equality and Family Committee audit on the 22nd, Minister Jeong Young-ae responded to the reasons behind the calls for abolition by saying, "I believe that last year's various political incidents and the ministry's inadequate response to them had an impact."

Repeated Calls for MOGEF Abolition... "Need to Rethink the Ministry's Role"

Lee Yang-su, a member of the People Power Party, pointed out, "When the issues involving former Mayors Park Won-soon and Oh Keo-don surfaced at the end of last year, 72% responded that the ministry's operation was wrong, and as of July, 48% supported the abolition of MOGEF."

Lee said, "Problems arose because the ministry did not speak out when it should have, such as during the secondary victimization of sexual violence victims of former Mayors Park and Oh, and during the Justice Memory Solidarity (Jeonguiyeondae) incident," adding, "Putting aside partisan logic, the ministry must speak with conviction according to its founding purpose. A thorough reflection is necessary."

Yang Geum-hee, also from the People Power Party, stated, "MOGEF received a 'poor' rating in government performance evaluations and ranked only 17th to 18th in public opinion surveys. Although the ministry has made efforts and achieved results, objective analysis of the reasons behind these continuous low evaluations and the calls for abolition is needed, along with changes."

Minister Jeong said, "It is very regrettable that the government evaluation results are 'average' or 'poor.' I believe there are parts where the ministry did not respond adequately and did not meet public expectations, and there are areas for reflection and improvement."

Cho Seung-rae of the Democratic Party said, "Rather than debating abolition or retention, we need to consider how the ministry should evolve. Since it handles not only women's policies but also gender equality-related policies, its role should be reconsidered from this perspective." Minister Jeong responded, "I fully agree."

Jeong Young-ae: "Statements by Lawyer for Mayor Park's Bereaved Family Constitute 'Secondary Victimization'"

Minister Jeong Young-ae of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family attended the National Assembly's Gender Equality and Family Committee's audit on the 22nd and is seen talking with Vice Minister Kim Kyung-sun. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

On the 22nd, Minister Jeong acknowledged that statements made by the lawyer representing the bereaved family of the late former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon in a lawsuit requesting the cancellation of the National Human Rights Commission's recommendation recognizing sexual harassment by Park constituted secondary victimization. The lawsuit was filed by Park's wife, Kang Nan-hee.

When Yang Geum-hee of the People Power Party asked whether the lawyer's posts on social media referring to the victim constituted secondary victimization, Minister Jeong replied, "Yes."

Minister Jeong explained, "While the administrative lawsuit filed by the bereaved family itself cannot be considered secondary victimization, we do not consider the lawyer's re-victimization of the victim regarding the sexual harassment facts to be appropriate conduct. It is desirable to exercise restraint to prevent secondary harm."

Regarding the controversy over the military prosecution's inadequate investigation into the case of an Air Force non-commissioned officer who committed suicide after suffering sexual harassment, Minister Jeong said, "There are regrettable aspects," adding, "Aside from prosecution, I understand that internal disciplinary procedures were separately conducted."

Regarding the on-site investigation conducted by MOGEF, she said, "We were able to verify various situations different from the reports by visiting the site," and "We checked whether procedures according to the sexual grievance manual were being followed."

Allegations of Embezzlement of Donations by Yoon Mee-hyang... Opposition's Criticism Intensifies

Independent lawmaker Yoon Mi-hyang attended the National Assembly's Environment and Labor Committee's audit on the Central Environmental Dispute Mediation Committee held at the National Assembly on the 13th, reviewing materials. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

The opposition continued its offensive over allegations of subsidy embezzlement by independent Assemblywoman Yoon Mee-hyang. Yang Geum-hee of the People Power Party pointed out, "The prosecution's investigation into Assemblywoman Yoon includes eight charges such as embezzlement and breach of trust. There are seven violations related to subsidy management laws concerning MOGEF. From 2014 to last year, Yoon submitted false applications to MOGEF to receive national subsidies for seven years."

Regarding the plan to recover subsidies from the Justice Memory Solidarity (Jeonguiyeondae), Minister Jeong said, "The competent authority is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We have already requested cooperation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in February and March to recover MOGEF's expenses through their liquidation procedures," adding, "The 65.2 million won in project and facility operation expenses paid by MOGEF are currently under litigation, and we will take action according to the court's decision."

The presence of Yoon's name at the 'Place of Memory' located in Namsan, Seoul, was also criticized. The Place of Memory is a space established in August 2016 by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance (Jeongdaehyeop), recording the names and testimonies of Japanese military comfort women victims and the atrocities of the Japanese imperial era.

Assemblywoman Kim criticized, "Yoon Mee-hyang's name is prominently displayed, but the names of grandmothers who were the first to be recognized as victims by Japan's highest court and those who criticized Jeongdaehyeop are omitted," adding, "The Seoul city government only provides the land and manages it. They must directly ask the bereaved families whether to include the names."

Minister Jeong responded, "The ministry cannot arbitrarily add the names of omitted grandmothers," explaining, "Four survivors refused because they did not want their identities exposed. Asking the bereaved families for their opinions is a separate issue."

Opposition: "Is the Amendment to the Framework Act on Healthy Families Allowing 'Same-Sex Marriage'?" ... Jeong Young-ae: "Same-Sex Marriage Is Not Included"

Questions were also raised regarding the amendment to the Framework Act on Healthy Families, which includes expanding the definition of family beyond marriage and blood relations. Jeon Ju-hye of the People Power Party asked, "Does this mean allowing same-sex couples or same-sex marriage?" Minister Jeong replied, "Living together as same-sex individuals and recognizing same-sex marriage as family are different. This does not mean allowing same-sex marriage."

Jeon pointed out, "According to public opinion polls on the amendment, 68.8% oppose it. There are concerns that expanding the meaning of family might lead to recognizing same-sex couples as family." Minister Jeong explained, "Same-sex marriage is not included, but de facto marriages can be included," adding, "The wording was not created with the intention of leading to the allowance of same-sex marriage."

Minister Jeong further explained, "Rather than insisting on a specific definition of family, the amendment aims to reflect the significant changes in family forms and structures and the increasing rate of unmarried individuals."

Seo Jeong-sook of the People Power Party argued that women might face reverse discrimination due to transgender individuals and demanded protective measures for women. In response, ruling party members criticized this as a complacent attitude toward protecting sexual minorities.

Seo said, "There was a case in an LA Korean-style bathhouse where a person who is biologically and physically male claimed to be female and entered the bathhouse. Such claims cause conflicts in the area because there is no way to block entry. Women may feel confused, uncomfortable, and fearful. Are there measures to prevent reverse discrimination against women?"

Minister Jeong responded, "We will implement policies related to the safety of not only the majority of women but everyone."

Kwon In-sook of the Democratic Party criticized, "MOGEF should be the department most concerned with protecting sexual minorities and human rights. How can the minister have no philosophy regarding hateful and discriminatory language? I realized why calls for the ministry's abolition are emerging." Minister Jeong replied, "I have clearly stated opposition to all forms of discrimination expressed in the Constitution."

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