South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has moved a step closer to shutting down the country’s gender equality ministry and fulfilling a campaign promise, in what appears to be a calculated move to appease anti-feminist supporters who interpret efforts to improve gender inequality as a personal attack against themselves.

Last week, the administration announced plans to collapse the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family (MOGEF) into other parts of government, removing its cabinet minister position and splitting MOGEF’s portfolio between the labor ministry and health ministry.

The loss of a dedicated pro-women and family agency will reverberate across South Korea. The