Number of female cabinet ministers shrinking

Environment minister Han Jeoung-ae, left, receives a letter of appointment from President Moon Jae-in at Cheong Wa Dae, Jan. 29 Yonhap

By Do Je-hae

The proportion of female ministers in the Moon Jae-in administration has significantly declined following the most recent Cabinet reshuffle, Jan. 20.

This seems to be going against Moon's campaign pledge to refill 30 percent or more of Cabinet posts with women.

Out of 18 ministers, there are currently only three women, accounting for 16. 6 percent of the total. Environment minister Han Jeoung-ae became the latest woman to join the Cabinet when she received a letter of appointment from President Moon at Cheong Wa Dae, Jan. 29.

Prior to the announcement, Jan. 20, there were five women. But Moon replaced Park Young-sun, minister of SMEs and Startups, to enable her to run in the Seoul mayor by-election in April, and Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, who was the longest-serving minister in Moon's Cabinet.

The shrinking number of women in Moon's Cabinet has raised questions about whether the President is still committed to promoting gender equality in the administrative sector, where the number of women in lower ranked posts has been rising, but the top posts are still largely dominated by men.

The presidential office said it will continue to look for female talent. “We are committed to making efforts to fill more posts with women in future personnel and organizational changes,” a presidential source said.

The status of the gender composition of Moon's cabinet has raised concerns, particularly in comparison to new U.S leader Joe Biden, who filled more than 40 percent of Cabinet posts with women.

Another reshuffle is expected in the coming months, particularly ahead of the presidential election season during which Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun may resign as he could have bigger political ambitions to move on to.

The political circle is keeping a close eye on whether Moon will appoint a female prime minister. The last time Korea had a female prime minister was during the previous Roh Moo-hyun administration. Han Myung-sook served as the nation's first female prime minister from 2007 to 2008.