[2022 National Audit] Repeated Interruptions in National Audit Over Demand for Minister of Gender Equality to Leave and Picket Placement

At the National Assembly Women and Family Committee Audit, Ruling and Opposition Parties Hang Pro and Con Signs on Abolishing the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family
Demand for the Minister's Exit... "Minister Here to Abolish the Ministry, Work Is Done"

On the 25th, during the National Assembly's Gender Equality and Family Committee's audit of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, Yang Yi-won-young, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, made a procedural statement demanding the resignation of Kim Hyun-sook, the Minister of Gender Equality and Family. (Photo by Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] On the 25th, during the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family (MOGEF) audit, lawmakers from both ruling and opposition parties clashed, causing the audit to be suspended twice. There were exchanges of parliamentary procedure speeches over demands for Minister Kim Hyun-sook's dismissal and placards calling for the abolition of MOGEF and the recovery of subsidies for candlelight protests.

That afternoon, at the National Assembly's Gender Equality and Family Committee audit, Democratic Party lawmakers displayed placards reading "Abolishing MOGEF is a global disgrace" and "President Yoon Seok-yeol, abolishing MOGEF won't raise your approval rating," while People Power Party lawmakers posted placards saying "Actively welcome progressive dissolution" and "Full recovery of candlelight protest subsidies."

Democratic Party lawmaker Yang Yi-won-young said, "How can someone who wants to abolish MOGEF be appointed as minister and shamelessly undergo an audit? I demand Minister Kim's dismissal." The Democratic Party lawmakers' demand for the minister's dismissal led to a 20-minute suspension of the audit before it resumed.

After the audit resumed, Democratic Party lawmaker Han Jun-ho stated, "The minister's report can be summarized in one sentence: steps have been taken toward abolition, and that is being praised. Since the minister's report is over, a dismissal request can be made." He criticized, "There was no meeting or discussion at the Gender Equality Committee level, and I feel responsible for the hasty process."

Minister of Gender Equality and Family Kim Hyun-sook is reviewing documents at the Gender Equality and Family Committee's audit held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 25th. (Photo by Yonhap News)

Ruling party lawmakers opposed the demand for the minister's dismissal as unfair. People Power Party lawmaker Jeong Gyeong-hee said, "Demanding the minister's dismissal is an unfair request," adding, "Even if it is not an apology, there should be an expression of regret for making an unfair demand to a cabinet member." People Power Party lawmaker Kim Seon-gyo said, "The abolition of MOGEF is an issue to be handled by the Public Administration and Security Committee, which proposed the government organization law," and added, "We are conducting an audit on past matters, so it is right to continue."

Committee Chair Kwon In-sook (Democratic Party) said in her opening remarks regarding the MOGEF abolition plan, "It is regrettable that the president, who has not yet awakened from a delusion, and the cabinet members who blindly support him, are acting this way," and criticized, "At a time when the country is facing an existential crisis due to low birth rates and aging, such regressive administration only lowers the nation's dignity and causes suffering to the people."

Chair Kwon emphasized the need for measures addressing issues such as married women's childcare, marriage, pregnancy and childbirth, the increasing proportion of single-person households, and digital sexual violence incidents like online grooming. She pointed out, "The government repeatedly fails to take responsibility for correcting the reality of discrimination that clearly exists and instead covers it up," and stressed, "It is time for both ruling and opposition parties to come together and pool wisdom on the direction of strengthened gender equality policies."

Minister Kim Hyun-sook said in her opening remarks, "Through the government organization reform plan, we will overcome the limitations of the mini-ministry of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and establish a system that can integrally promote policies for all family members, including infants, children and adolescents, men and women, and the elderly, within a single ministry."

Minister Kim added, "I believe that a policy shift that meets the expectations of all genders and generations equally will enhance consensus and awareness of gender equality policies," and said, "Even after the organizational reform, we will do our best to ensure that the policies carried out by MOGEF can be stably operated in a more developed form."

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