Controversy Over Abolishing the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and Subsidies: "If Not Abolished, Kim Hyun-sook Must Resign" (Comprehensive)

Opposition Party Attacks Over Secret Discussions on Abolishing Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and Criticism of Function Weakening
Calls for Minister's Exit and Resignation... Picket Clashes, Two Suspensions
Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Announces "Full Investigation" Amid Controversy Over Subsidies to Candlelight Rally Support Groups

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] "Will you resign if the Government Organization Act does not pass? (Yong Hye-in, Basic Income Party lawmaker)

"I am doing my best to fulfill my duties." (Kim Hyun-sook, Minister of Gender Equality and Family)

At the National Assembly audit of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family (MOGEF), the opposition party launched an offensive regarding the secretive discussions and reorganization plans during the process of pushing for the ministry's abolition. Calls for the minister's resignation also followed. The ruling party countered that subsidies to civic groups leading candlelight rallies should be reclaimed.

On the 25th, during the National Assembly Gender Equality and Family Committee audit, Yong Hye-in of the Basic Income Party pointed out, "The government discussed abolishing the ministry while consulting with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety but left no records. There is not a single document on abolishing the ministry. How is the National Assembly supposed to verify and understand this process?" He added, "The secret meeting decided to transfer MOGEF’s duties to the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Employment and Labor. Do you think the ministers of Welfare and Labor are more specialized than the Minister of Gender Equality and Family?"

Yong criticized, "The Minister of Employment was slow to respond to a case of sexual harassment within the company during his time as Secretary-General of the Labor-Management Development Foundation, and a director at the Ministry of Health and Welfare was caught red-handed for illegal filming in the subway. I cannot understand how entrusting these people with divided gender equality duties would lead to better gender equality policies than now."

Yong asked Minister Kim three times whether she would resign if the government organization reform bill did not pass. Kim evaded the question by saying, "I am doing my best in my work," and only on the third question said, "I cannot answer about that process."

Yong said, "If the person who wants to abolish the ministry fails to persuade, they should naturally step down as minister. If the abolition plan is removed, resign from the minister position." Kim responded, "I think differently from lawmakers who say abolishing MOGEF means weakening its functions. I believe abolition means strengthening functions."

In a follow-up question, when Yong asked if Kim would accept the position of head of the Population, Family, and Gender Equality Bureau at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Kim replied, "I don't think so. I will be recorded as the last Minister of Gender Equality and Family, and someone else will take the head of the bureau."

Fifteen minutes after the audit began, opposition lawmakers demanded the minister’s exit, and the audit was suspended twice as lawmakers from both sides raised their voices with placards. Lee Won-young of the Democratic Party said, "How can someone who wants to abolish MOGEF sit as minister and shamelessly attend the audit? I request Minister Kim’s exit." The audit was halted for 20 minutes after Democratic Party lawmakers demanded the minister’s departure and then resumed.

At the audit, Democratic Party lawmakers displayed placards reading "Abolishing MOGEF is a global disgrace" and "President Yoon Seok-yeol, abolishing MOGEF won’t raise approval ratings," while People Power Party lawmakers held placards saying "Actively welcome progressive dissolution" and "Full recovery of subsidies for candlelight rallies."

Opposition: "Reorganization plan is like MOGEF living in a rented room"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Opposition lawmakers criticized the plan to establish the Population, Family, and Gender Equality Bureau within the Ministry of Health and Welfare as "living in a rented room," and transferring women’s employment duties to the Ministry of Employment and Labor as "living in the back room." Jang Kyung-tae of the Democratic Party said, "Even if the head of the Gender Equality Bureau attends Cabinet meetings, they only have the right to be present, not voting rights, so it’s ultimately like living in a rented room." He added, "Looking at cases in the UK, France, and Germany, separate ministries handle gender equality policies, so abolishing MOGEF goes against the global trend, yet only the president and minister seem unaware."

Jang pointed out, "During the Lee Myung-bak administration, youth policies were brought under MOGEF because the Ministry of Health and Welfare might view multicultural and family policies only as lower-tier issues, so they specialized and tailored them to appropriate generations and groups."

Minister Kim responded, "It’s not that the Ministry of Health and Welfare handled family or youth affairs poorly, but the Ministry of Gender Equality had only 100 officials handling gender equality promotion and rights work, making it difficult to function as a central ministry. That’s why those policies came to MOGEF," adding, "If youth policies move to the Gender Equality Bureau, overlapping policies for children and youth will be integrated, creating synergy."

Criticism also arose that the secretive discussion process without meeting minutes and the consolidation into the Ministry of Health and Welfare instead of establishing a new ministry was a poor organizational reform. Lee Won-taek of the Democratic Party said, "The president promised to establish a new ministry, so why was this plan not followed? It seems the president’s difficulties in governance led to a poor reorganization." He added, "The president instructed to create a roadmap, not to establish or consolidate ministries. Shouldn’t the direction have been set to establish a new ministry in consultation with Minister Lee Sang-min of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety?"

Regarding the criticism that no records were left of consultations between the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and MOGEF on the reorganization plan, Minister Kim said, "I had several face-to-face and phone meetings with the Minister of the Interior and Safety."

MOGEF "Full subsidy investigation," Opposition calls it "Blacklist and gagging"

Ruling party lawmakers argued that subsidies should be reclaimed if organizations supported by MOGEF participated in candlelight rallies. When Kwon Seong-dong of the People Power Party pointed out that MOGEF supported groups sponsoring the "Yoon Seok-yeol Resignation Candlelight Rally for Middle and High School Students" scheduled for November 5, MOGEF announced on the 22nd that it is conducting a full investigation into misuse or illegal receipt of subsidies.

Minister Kim said, "The November 5 rally aims to oust the current administration, which was not stated in the subsidy application," adding, "If subsidies are used for other purposes, they can be reclaimed." When opposition lawmakers criticized the full investigation of civic groups’ political leanings as a "blacklist," Kim said, "I cannot agree. I hope the term blacklist is not used."

Lee So-young of the Democratic Party said, "Reclaiming subsidies from groups just because they hosted or participated in candlelight rallies is illegal, as ruled by the Seoul Administrative Court in 2009," adding, "There is no evidence that subsidies were used for other purposes, but based on a few SNS posts by Representative Kwon, all subsidies are being reclaimed to gag them, which is problematic."

Lee continued, "About ten years ago, the Korean Women’s Hotline stopped receiving subsidies after participating in candlelight rallies but lost in administrative litigation. At that time, MOGEF said it would respect the court ruling, but now it presumes unconfirmed illegality," and argued, "The public perceives creating a list of organizations critical of the government, harassing them, questioning their subsidies, and squeezing them under various pretexts as a blacklist."

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