President Lee: "Restoring Gender Equality Policies Rolled Back Under Yoon... Ensuring Differences Do Not Lead to Discrimination"

On March 8, President Lee Jaemyung announced in honor of International Women's Day that his government would restore gender equality policies that had been scaled back or reversed under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration. He pledged to build a society where differences do not lead to discrimination and diversity is not a reason for exclusion.

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President Lee made these remarks in a post titled "Toward a Society Where Differences Do Not Become Discrimination and Diversity Is Not a Reason for Exclusion," shared on his X (formerly Twitter) account that day. He said, "Until quite recently, we experienced a period when gender equality policies were reduced and set back by the previous administration’s pledge to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. Now, we are reversing that trend, restoring gender equality policies to their rightful place, filling the gaps of the past, and taking step-by-step progress toward a truly gender-equal society." International Women's Day is celebrated every year on March 8, and this year's international campaign theme is "Give to Gain (#GiveToGain)."

President Lee further emphasized, "I will fulfill my role and responsibilities as president so that the Republic of Korea can become a genuinely gender-equal nation. I will ensure that we build a community where everyone can live safely and with dignity."

He also reflected on the significance of this year’s International Women's Day, noting that it is the first to be marked since the impeachment, and mentioned the solidarity among women who took to the public squares during the national crisis of 2024. President Lee stated, "I was pleased to hear that the women who demonstrated solidarity in the public squares received the 'Women's Movement Award of the Year' from the Korean Women's Association United." The Korean Women's Association United selected "the women who realized the values of gender-equal democracy through equality, care, and solidarity in the square during the Yoon Suk-yeol impeachment" as recipients of the Women's Movement Award at the 41st Korean Women's Conference held the previous day.

President Lee also discussed the historical context of International Women's Day. Citing the National Human Rights Commission of Korea, he explained, "In our country, figures like Na Hye-seok and Park Induk were already commemorating International Women's Day in the 1920s, but the tradition was severed due to Japanese colonial oppression. The official commemoration resumed with the first Korean Women's Conference in 1985." According to the National Human Rights Commission and others, Korea began celebrating International Women's Day in the 1920s but was forced to stop during the Japanese occupation. The official commemoration resumed with the 1985 Korean Women's Conference, and since 2018, March 8 has been designated by law as Women's Day.

President Lee expressed his wish, "I sincerely hope that the fruits of gender equality, cultivated through sharing and cooperation, will permeate the lives of all citizens of the Republic of Korea, beyond gender, generation, and class." The International Women's Day Organizing Committee (IWD) proposed this year's theme as "Give to Gain," advocating for advancing gender equality through concrete actions such as respect, safety, opportunity, pay equity, and greater access to resources.

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