Ministry of Gender Equality Faces Setbacks Including Rejection of Abolition Proposal in Transition Team Briefing

Explanation of Current Issues and Reasons for Existence in Work Report
Large-Scale Child Support Payments and Stalking Victim Protection Act, etc.

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol reiterated his commitment to abolishing the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, stating, "Isn't it time for the ministry to fulfill its historical mission?" Meanwhile, on the 14th, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family at the Government Seoul Office, facing a crossroads regarding its existence, is stirring unrest amid a tense atmosphere. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

On the 25th, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family (MOGEF) will report its work to the Presidential Transition Committee. Unlike a typical departmental briefing that discusses current issues and major national tasks to be pursued by the new government in connection with the president-elect's pledges, this meeting is expected to be a session to persuade the committee of the ministry’s reason for existence and possible alternatives. During the process of presenting 'review opinions' on President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol’s pledges, MOGEF is known to mention plans for reorganizing functions related to women, family, and youth policies, as well as the necessity of the ministry’s continued existence.

It is also expected to explain the pros and cons of expanding and reorganizing the child, family, and population-related policies proposed by President-elect Yoon into a new 'Ministry of Population and Family.' While there is a need for a ministry dedicated to executing the existing MOGEF policies, it is an ironic situation where MOGEF, which is being considered for abolition, must explain scenarios for both its continuation and dissolution. MOGEF is keeping strict silence regarding the work report. A MOGEF official stated, "We will report according to the format requested by the Transition Committee and provide a thorough explanation."

No clear alternatives have been presented regarding the government organization reform plan, including the abolition of MOGEF. Proposals include transferring policies related to women’s workforce support, such as support for career-interrupted women, to the Ministry of Employment and Labor; transferring support for victims of sexual violence, including women’s violence, to the Ministry of Justice; and placing gender equality policies under a direct committee. In the current issue report, MOGEF plans to present the promotion of the Stalking Victim Protection Act, and in the pledge implementation plan, it will propose the advance payment system for child support and the gender-based labor disclosure system. The advance payment system for child support refers to the government paying child support first and then claiming reimbursement from the debtor. President-elect Yoon has pledged to abolish the non-prosecution agreement for stalking punishment and to establish a protection system for dating violence.

The women’s community is opposing the abolition of MOGEF both online and offline. More than 8,700 women and civic groups demanding strengthened gender equality policies issued a statement saying, "The abolition of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family without strengthened policies will not only solidify the structure of gender discrimination but also become a source of conflict that hinders cooperation and integration, thereby regressing the history of the Republic of Korea." Upon arriving at the Transition Committee the day before, President-elect Yoon said, "(Regarding the abolition of MOGEF) It is a campaign pledge, so does that mean we are lying to the people?" Unlike other ministries, all director-level personnel recommended by MOGEF were excluded from the Transition Committee’s working-level members, and not a single woman-related expert was included among the professional committee members.

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