Ministry of Gender Equality and Family: "Need for Academic Discussion on Whether Sindang Station Incident is a Misogynistic Crime"

Minister Kim Hyun-sook's Remarks on Distancing from Misogynistic Crimes Spark Controversy
Ministry of Gender Equality and Family: "Discussion Needed on Whether It Constitutes Misogyny"
Progressive Party, Green Party, etc.: "Minister Kim Denying Reality Should Resign"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] As controversy continues over Minister Kim Hyun-sook of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family (MOGEF) stating that the murder of a female station worker by a stalking perpetrator at Sindang Station is not considered a misogynistic crime, MOGEF said, "There needs to be academic discussion on this issue."

At the MOGEF regular briefing on the 19th, spokesperson Jo Min-kyung said, "There has been much debate over whether this is a misogynistic crime, and I think academia and other women's groups should have further discussions on the definition."

Earlier, on the 16th, when Minister Kim visited the Sindang Station memorial space and was asked whether she viewed the incident as a misogynistic crime, she replied, "I do not see it that way. I do not agree with viewing it through a dual frame of men versus women."

Spokesperson Jo elaborated on the minister’s remarks, saying, "She was emphasizing thorough victim protection, strict punishment, and focusing on improving related laws and systems."

On the 16th, MOGEF held an inter-agency meeting on stalking crime countermeasures, discussing the removal of the conditional prosecution clause from the Stalking Punishment Act and improvements to victim protection systems. MOGEF decided to strengthen cooperation between the police and the Women’s Emergency Call Center 1366, as well as enhance the incident notification system.

Kim Kyung-hee, head of MOGEF’s Rights Protection Division, explained, "We shared the response status of each ministry regarding the Sindang Station incident and discussed ways to strengthen inter-agency cooperation to provide one-stop services to victims, as there were criticisms about insufficient coordination among agencies."

Criticism has also been raised that under the current Stalking Punishment Act, emergency and urgent measures last only one month, provisional measures up to six months, and violations result only in fines, reducing effectiveness.

Regarding this, Kim said, "A bill to amend the Stalking Punishment Act has been proposed and is pending in the Legislation and Judiciary Committee. We plan to actively review the amendment and recommend it to the Ministry of Justice."

On the 15th, Minister Kim posted on Facebook, "I am deeply heartbroken upon learning of the murder of the station worker at Sindang Station," adding, "I will do my utmost to ensure that the Stalking Victim Protection Act, submitted to the National Assembly last April, is passed quickly so that stronger protective measures for victims can be implemented."

Meanwhile, on the 19th, the National Women’s Solidarity, the Progressive Party, and the Green Party held a press conference in front of the Government Seoul Office, stating, "The Sindang Station murder is a misogynistic crime concentrated with sexual violence," and urged, "Minister Kim, who denies this reality, must take responsibility and resign."

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