Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, Preliminary Abolition Work Before Legal Revision Under 'Vice Minister System'

Yoon Expresses Commitment to Fulfilling Presidential Election Promises
Deputy Minister Shin Young-sook Leads Organizational Restructuring
Preparatory Work for Abolishing Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Likely to Accelerate

The government’s decision to leave the Minister of Gender Equality and Family position vacant and operate under an acting vice minister system is understood to be in line with President Yoon Seok-yeol’s campaign promise to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family (MOGEF). Although abolishing MOGEF requires an amendment to the Government Organization Act and cannot be immediately realized due to strong opposition from the major opposition party, preparatory work for the abolition at the government level can proceed.

A presidential office official told Asia Economy on the 22nd, "The abolition of MOGEF is a campaign promise, and even before the law is amended, a firm expression of the executive branch’s commitment to fulfilling the promise is necessary."

Accordingly, in October 2022, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced a plan to reorganize the Government Organization Act that includes abolishing MOGEF and transferring its key functions to the 'Population, Family, and Gender Equality Headquarters' under the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Additionally, lawmakers including Kwon Seong-dong of the People Power Party have submitted two bills to the National Assembly, led by the ruling party, proposing the abolition of MOGEF through amendments to the Government Organization Act.

However, since the ruling Democratic Party opposes the abolition, making it practically impossible for now, the ministry is expected to operate under the acting vice minister system for the time being, aiming to reorganize the parliamentary structure after the general election in April. The plan is to amend the Government Organization Act in the 22nd National Assembly after the election to abolish MOGEF. The official explained, "We expect that under the leadership of Shin Young-sook, the vice minister of MOGEF and an expert in organizational restructuring, the preparatory work for the transfer of duties will proceed smoothly," adding, "We are also considering appointing officials from other ministries to the director-level positions."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Earlier, the ruling party also proposed the establishment of a deputy prime minister-level 'Population Ministry' as a campaign pledge, aiming to absorb and integrate some of MOGEF’s functions. Han Dong-hoon, the emergency committee chairman of the People Power Party, expressed his intention last month when announcing low birthrate policies, stating, "Policies such as childcare services, which were under the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the abolished MOGEF, will be carried out by the newly established Population Ministry."

President Yoon’s appointment of Joo Hyung-hwan, former first vice minister of the Ministry of Economy and Finance and former Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, as vice chairman of the Presidential Committee on Aging Society and Population Policy?breaking the tradition of appointing scholars?is also interpreted as an effort to accelerate preparatory work. This is because issues related not only to women but also to families and low birthrates are matters critical to the nation’s survival, requiring an integrated control tower rather than individual ministries. In particular, on the 20th, President Yoon announced at a Cabinet meeting that the vice chairmanship of the Presidential Committee on Aging Society and Population Policy would be changed to a full-time position, with upgraded rank and privileges, allowing attendance at Cabinet meetings.

On the other hand, a sense of helplessness continues within MOGEF. A ministry official said, "It has been a long time since messages about the ministry’s abolition started coming out, so it’s no longer surprising," adding, "Just as the minister showed determination for abolition in the farewell speech, the transition to the vice minister system seems like a process of taking steps toward abolition, which is disheartening."

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