{"id":2199147,"date":"2022-10-13T09:00:16","date_gmt":"2022-10-13T09:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nknews.org\/koreapro\/?p=2199147"},"modified":"2023-04-05T16:11:10","modified_gmt":"2023-04-05T07:11:10","slug":"yoon-moves-to-scrap-gender-ministry-in-appeal-to-anti-feminist-supporters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2022\/10\/yoon-moves-to-scrap-gender-ministry-in-appeal-to-anti-feminist-supporters\/","title":{"rendered":"Yoon moves to scrap gender ministry in appeal to anti-feminist supporters"},"content":{"rendered":"
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has moved a step closer to shutting down the country\u2019s 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.<\/span><\/p>\n Last week, the administration <\/span>announced<\/span><\/a> plans to collapse the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family (MOGEF) into other parts of government, removing its cabinet minister position and splitting MOGEF\u2019s portfolio between the labor ministry and health ministry.<\/span><\/p>\n The loss of a dedicated pro-women and family agency will reverberate across South Korea. The ministry has <\/span>spearheaded efforts<\/span><\/a> to address problems that disproportionately affect women and children since 2001, including digital sex crimes, workforce gender gaps and participation, political representation and childcare benefits.<\/span><\/p>\n Critics say that getting rid of MOGEF and its minister will make it <\/span>more difficult<\/span><\/a> to make progress in these areas. The Yoon administration <\/span>maintains<\/span><\/a> that the ministry\u2019s functions will remain government priorities, and that the reorganization will actually strengthen Seoul\u2019s ability to tackle relevant issues.<\/span><\/p>\n Whatever the case, there are obvious political motivations for scrapping MOGEF.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Yoon was elected to office earlier this year <\/span>partly thanks<\/span><\/a> to the support of young men who oppose feminism. Abolishing the ministry was one of Yoon\u2019s <\/span>key pledges<\/span><\/a> during the presidential election.<\/span><\/p>\n However, he\u2019s struggled to capitalize on this support as a result of his <\/span>hiccups<\/span><\/a> in the diplomatic arena and <\/span>slow progress<\/span><\/a> toward getting rid of the gender ministry. Yoon\u2019s <\/span>approval rating<\/span><\/a> sits at a mere 29%, according to the latest Gallup Korea poll.<\/span><\/p>\n But in order to abolish the ministry, Yoon needs to get the National Assembly to revise the Government Organization Act.<\/span><\/p>\n The problem for the president is that the opposition Democratic Party holds a majority in the National Assembly. Party leader and Yoon\u2019s former rival in the presidential elections Lee Jae-myung expressed his <\/span>opposition<\/span><\/a> to the changes last week.<\/span><\/p>\n If the Yoon administration is unable to abolish the ministry, it could become a rallying point for anti-feminist voters ahead of the parliamentary elections in 2024.<\/span><\/p>\n