Nam Hyun-woo has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2013, mostly covering business and politics. He currently belongs to the Business Desk where he covers topics such as emerging tech, AI, ICT and Korea's chaebol community. Prior to joining the team, he was the paper's correspondent for the presidential office of Korea during the Yoon Suk Yeol and Moon Jae-in administrations.
Main opposition candidate rekindles gender conflict in campaign
People Power Party presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol, left, enters the party's headquarters on Yeouido, Seoul, Sunday. Joint press Corps
By Nam Hyun-woo
By Nam Hyun-woo
Main opposition People Power Party (PPP) presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol is rekindling gender conflicts, calling for the abolishment of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family.
However, he is still indecisive over what kind of gender policies he will advocate after being elected, facing doubts over his political consistency. Also, criticism is rising that Yoon and the party are exploiting gender conflicts as a tool to win votes.
In a Facebook post uploaded Friday, Yoon pledged “the abolishment of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family,” without explaining further. The post was liked by more than 32,000 Facebook users and drew more than 10,000 comments.
This is a captured image of People Power Party presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol's Facebook posting that reads "abolishment of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family." Captured from Facebook
The posting came after PPP Chairman Lee Jun-seok rejoined Yoon's campaign on Thursday, after addressing a monthlong conflict between them. Lee is recognized for his idea that some feminism-based policies discriminate against young men, which helped the party win the April 7 by-elections to select Seoul and Busan mayors after gaining wide support from male voters in their 20s and 30s.
Yoon's pledge to abolish the ministry is in stark contrast to the candidate's earlier approach to gender issues.
In November, Yoon appointed professor Lee Soo-jeong of Kyonggi University, a renowned forensic psychologist who is also described as a feminist, as a standing co-head of his former election committee, and then recruited Shin Ji-ye, former head of the Korean Women's Political Network and a vocal feminist, as deputy head of the Saesidae Preparatory Committee, a sub-organization in his election camp.
At the time, Yoon and Chairman Lee were locking horns over election strategy, thus the candidate's choice was interpreted as an effort to woo young women and centrist voters.
However, the effort did not result in a rebound for Yoon's support rate. In a Gallup Korea poll released on Friday, Yoon's support rate stood at 26 percent, trailing behind ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) candidate Lee Jae-myung with 36 percent. While Yoon was struggling with infighting with the party chairman, No. 3 candidate Ahn Cheol-soo of the minor opposition People's Party saw his support rate rise drastically to 15 percent.
As his support rate continues to falter, Yoon opted to reconcile with PPP Chairman Lee and dissolved his existing election committee last week, with the two feminists leaving Yoon's camp. As soon as Chairman Lee rejoined his election campaign, Yoon gave his hawkish remark on gender issues.
Apart from his rhetoric, Yoon's actual gender policies are also facing criticism for lacking consistency.
Though the ministry's official English title is the Ministry of “Gender Equality and Family,” its Korean name still translates to the ministry of “women and family.” During his PPP primary last year, Yoon promised to “overhaul” the ministry, refocusing it on issues for both genders, not only about advocating for women's rights.
As he dropped hints at abolishing the ministry on Friday, however, questions were raised whether Yoon has changed his mind. But Yoon failed to answer reporters' questions clearly, saying, “I'm now thinking of abolishing the ministry. And I need to think more (about what to do next).”
Then Yoon's spokesman Won Il-hee told reporters that “it is true that the ministry will be abolished and the name of its replacement is not determined yet,” which was interpreted as the camp still seeking to overhaul and rename the ministry.
But Yoon wrote on Saturday that “the spokesman's remark is not true” and “it is about abolishing the ministry” and he will come up with a new ministry which will “no longer separate male and female” and “deal with the matters of children, family and population decline.”
The ruling DPK criticized Yoon's flip-flopping stance. DPK Rep. Kim Nam-kuk, who heads the online communication team of the party's election camp, wrote on Facebook: “I cannot see Yoon's presence in his pledge to abolish the ministry. … Instead of feminist Shin, now there is Chairman Lee. Yoon only seems to be an actor.”
Also, criticism continues that Yoon is only fueling gender conflicts to win votes.
“In order to recover his support, the candidate does not hesitate to separate young people by gender and instigate discrimination and sexism,” minor opposition Justice Party presidential candidate Rep. Sim Sang-jeung wrote on Facebook, Saturday, adding her pledge to expand and enhance the role of the gender equality ministry.
DPK Rep. Kwon In-sook, who is a member of the National Assembly's Gender Equality and Family Committee, also said “Yoon is instigating gender conflict,” saying “Yoon's lazy idea of recovering young male voters' support by separating genders is pitiful.”
Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum also said he is against Yoon's idea of abolishing the gender equality ministry. “The ministry has been working hard and made many historic accomplishments,” Kim said.
The Gallup Korea poll surveyed 1,002 adults from Jan. 4 to 6. Further details are available at the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission website.