Yoon calls on Gender Ministry to draw up plans for abolition

President Yoon Suk-yeol requested the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family to develop a roadmap for abolition soon.

“(Yoon) has requested that (the Gender Minister) come up with a roadmap for abolition after figuring out the overall duties of the ministry,” spokesperson Kang In-sun said at a briefing held Monday after Gender Minister made her first report to the president.

Gender Minister Kim Hyun-sook said the ministry is working on the agenda.

“We have launched a task force within the ministry and are consistently meeting with experts, ”Kim said.“ I was to take some time with the plan for the abolition, but I believe the president has requested me to make a proposal on the agenda soon.”

Kim further explained that she did not initially include the plan for the ministry abolition in her report.

“Today‘s report was based on state agendas drawn up by the presidential transition committee. As I remember, the committee did not include details related to reforms or governmental organizations in the agendas,” Kim said.
Yoon pledged to abolish the ministry during his presidential campaign to woo young male voters in their 20s who believed the ministry was favoring women over men through policies and projects.

Kim previously mentioned that the ministry’s abolition is “definite,” meeting with the press in June after taking office. She said the abolition of the ministry would come, though there had not yet been a detailed discussion on the agenda at the time.

In the ministry‘s report, Kim mentioned that the ministry will work on supporting families in different circumstances, including single-parent families, helping career-interrupted women to resume economic activities and providing childcare services.

The ministry will also work on developing youth as future talents and also help victims of sex crimes.

By Im Eun-byel (silverstar@heraldcorp.com)