Yoon Accepts Resignation of Minister Kim Hyun-sook of Ministry of Gender Equality and Family... Operates Under Deputy Minister Acting System

by Lee Kimin

Published 20 Feb.2024 19:45(KST)

Updated 21 Feb.2024 07:16(KST)

President Yoon Suk-yeol has accepted the resignation of Kim Hyun-sook, Minister of Gender Equality and Family. President Yoon plans to operate the ministry under an acting vice minister system without appointing a successor.

According to multiple presidential office officials on the 20th, President Yoon accepted Minister Kim's resignation letter on the same day. It is reported that Minister Kim requested the acceptance of her resignation due to difficulties in appointing a new minister for the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. The effective date of Minister Kim's dismissal is the 22nd of this month.

As President Yoon had initially announced plans to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, he decided to run the ministry under an acting vice minister system without appointing a successor.

Gender Equality Project - Kim Hyun-sook, Minister of Gender Equality and Family. Photo by Jo Yong-jun jun21@

Minister Kim had previously expressed her intention to resign last September, taking responsibility for the Saemangeum World Scout Jamboree incident. In response, President Yoon nominated Kim Haeng, former Emergency Response Committee member of the People Power Party, as the candidate for the new minister. However, Kim withdrew during the confirmation hearing in October of the same year.

With the acceptance of Minister Kim's resignation, the formation of President Yoon Suk-yeol's second-term cabinet has been completed. On the same day, President Yoon approved the appointment of Park Sung-jae as Minister of Justice, whose confirmation hearing report was adopted by the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee.