Kang Seung-woo is the Business Desk editor at The Korea Times. Prior to this position, he covered politics, national affairs, finance and sports.
Opposition presidential contender vows to abolish gender ministry
Yoo Seong-min, a presidential hopeful from the main opposition People Power Party, speaks during a forum in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, Sunday. Yonhap
By Kang Seung-woo
By Kang Seung-woo
Yoo Seong-min, a presidential hopeful of the conservative main opposition People Power Party (PPP), said, Tuesday, that he would abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family if he is elected.
His campaign pledge seems aimed at appealing to male voters in their 20s who feel victimized by feminism, with growing complaints among young men believing they are mistreated compared to women in the same age groups.
“Half of the population is women, and all government ministries deal with women's issues in their respective fields,” Yoo posted on Facebook.
He pointed out that health ministry can deal with women's health issues, while the labor ministry can handle workplace gender discrimination, the justice ministry and police can handle sex crimes and domestic violence, and welfare and education ministries can be in charge of childcare.
“There is no reason to have a separate gender ministry,” the former four-term lawmaker said, adding the ministry has failed to live up to expectations.
The 63-year-old, who ran in the 2017 presidential election, took a shot at the Moon Jae-in administration which has expanded the gender ministry.
“During the campaign election in 2017, I insisted that the ministry be removed, standing against Moon, who stressed the need for the ministry's expanded role. Looking back on the last four years, who was right?” Yoo said.
“If elected president, I plan to set up a gender equality commission under the presidential office, so the commission can coordinate with ministries on pursuing policies on gender equality.”
Yoo's move appears to follow in the footsteps of PPP Chairman Lee Jun-seok.
Lee has earned strong support from young men for speaking against affirmative action for women on the trail for the party chairmanship race, in which the 36-year-old became the youngest-ever leader of the nation's main conservative party.