President Moon: "Next Government May Propose New Plans Related to Ministry of Gender Equality and Family... Hope for Constructive Discussions" (Comprehensive)

"Misunderstandings Surrounding the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, Ministry Also Bears Significant Responsibility"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] President Moon Jae-in, regarding the fact that the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family (MOGEF) related pledges have become a heated issue in the presidential election, stated on the 8th, "The next government may consider new ideas regarding the role, name, or form of MOGEF," while hoping for constructive discussions.

At the Cabinet meeting that day, President Moon received a report on "the achievements and future tasks of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family" from Minister Jeong Young-ae and said, "What is clear is that regardless of how the fate of MOGEF is decided, each task overseen by MOGEF is very important and must continue to develop."

President Moon said, "In this presidential election, pledges related to MOGEF, ranging from renaming or restructuring its functions to abolishing it, have become a heated issue," adding, "Cautiously, on this 'International Women's Day,' it is necessary to look back on the history and achievements of MOGEF."

President Moon emphasized that MOGEF started as the 'Ministry of Women' during the Kim Dae-jung administration, was expanded under the Roh Moo-hyun administration, and faced abolition attempts during the Lee Myung-bak administration, but "has maintained its organizational framework while gradually strengthening its role," stating, "MOGEF has achieved many accomplishments over the past 20 years, and there are many tasks to further develop."

President Moon analyzed, "The tasks overseen by MOGEF, such as women's policies, family policies, youth policies, and protection from sexual and domestic violence, are becoming increasingly important in modern society, which is a global trend," and added, "So-called 'gender conflicts' have intensified, leading to misunderstandings about MOGEF."

President Moon pointed out, "MOGEF itself bears a considerable share of responsibility for this," and said, "MOGEF's budget this year is 1.46 trillion won, which is only 0.24% of the entire government budget, making it a very small ministry, and it is by no means a ministry solely for women."

He further added, "In fact, the budget related to gender equality accounts for only about 7% of MOGEF's budget, which is very small." This appears to be in reference to opposition parties' claims that the gender-responsive budget should be cut and used for defense spending.

President Moon expressed hope that "discussions related to MOGEF will proceed constructively under such understanding, and that our society will advance toward a more inclusive society including gender equality," and urged, "I ask each ministry to review how our government's policies related to gender equality are being implemented."

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