South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to “Abolish” the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (Wikimedia)

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol announced on October 7 his plan to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, according to Yonhap News. Having spoken about abolishing the gender ministry since his 2022 presidential campaign, President Yoon’s plan to eradicate the gender ministry board sparked outcry among feminists and an outpour of support from young male “anti-feminists.” 

President Yoon defended his plan stating that “abolishing the gender ministry is about strengthening the protection of women, families, children, and the socially weak,” reports The Korea Herald. Addressing reporters outside of his office, Yoon further stated, “In terms of the so-called sexual offenses caused by abuse of power, it’s about completely doing away with the perspective that uses the term ‘alleged victim.’” He implicitly referred to accusations that the gender ministry “failed” to respond when several female lawmakers of the Democratic Party used the term “alleged victim” when describing the survivor of sexual abuse by former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon. Yoon used this example to frame the gender ministry as exacerbating gender inequality in South Korea.

Yoon and his party, the People Power Party (PPP), have continuously accused the gender ministry of “reverse discrimination” because they have enacted quotas for women in private and public sector jobs. Because the ministry’s Korean name directly translates to “Ministry of Women and Family,” it creates the impression that achieving women’s equality comes at the expense of men’s rights, according to Park Chang-hwan, a professor of Jangan University. This has led to many young men harboring hostile sentiments towards the gender ministry, causing a significant and alarming rise in “anti-feminist” young men in support of Yoon’s policies. 

Experts believe that abolishing the gender ministry is too harsh and unrealistic, as Korea is still far from achieving gender equality. Although there have been small advancements in gender equality, such as the decriminalization of abortion in 2021, women are still paid a third less than their male counterparts on average, reports The Guardian. Furthermore, women remain significantly underrepresented in high-profile government offices and corporate boardrooms. According to the 2022 World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report, South Korea ranks 99th out of 146 countries for gender wealth equity, and among OECD countries, has the highest gender gap. Thus, critics of Yoon’s plan contend that abolishing the gender ministry board would exacerbate already-present gender inequality in South Korea, according to Bloomberg News. 

The main liberal opposition Democratic Party and its women’s committee have overwhelmingly denounced Yoon’s plan and vowed to ensure the continuation of the gender ministry board. Furthermore, women all around Korea and the world have rallied in support of keeping the gender ministry. 116 global civil society organizations and 17 gender scholars and independent feminist activists signed a petition that condemned Yoon’s actions. They cited his move as a “serious regression on women’s rights that will have detrimental impact not only on South Korea, but also on the Asia-Pacific region and the international community.” 

Therefore, although Korea’s gender ministry board may be on the brink of abolition, cries for women’s rights and gender equality internationally and domestically raise many questions as to how Yoon and his administration will proceed.