Ministries of gender equality, unification, education face uncertain fate

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

National

Thu, December 7, 2023 | 09:42

Politics

Ministries of gender equality, unification, education face uncertain fate

Posted : 2022-03-22 16:54

Updated : 2022-03-22 17:15

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol presides over a leadership meeting of his transition committee at the committee headquarters in Seoul's Jongno District, Tuesday. Joint Press Corps

By Jung Da-min

The future of some existing ministries looks uncertain, as President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol's transition team began to take ministerial briefings, with some likely to be scaled back or even abolished.

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, in particular, is in limbo, as none of its officials have been included among the total 56 expert and working-level members from different government ministries who have joined the transition committee.

A total of 184 members have been put together for tasks related to the government transition, including the 24 primary transition committee members as well as 76 expert members and 73 working-level members, according to the transition committee.

Earlier on March 13, Yoon hinted at the possible abolishment of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, saying he believes it is an outdated organization which was created under the 1998-2003 Kim Dae-jung administration when the gender gap between men and women had been a larger social problem, while more specific and individual solutions are needed now to address diversified gender-related issues.

"It is not the case that every ministry has sent officials to help the transition committee," the transition committee's spokeswoman Shin Yong-hyun said during Monday's press briefing, regarding the lack of officials from the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family on the transition team.

"We understand that there could be concerns that women-related policies could be neglected, but we believe issues on women, adolescents, the low birth rate and aging can be dealt with together in a broader sense when we decide on major government projects," she said.

A member of the minor opposition progressive Jinbo Party protests President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol's push to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family in front of Yoon's transition committee headquarters in Seoul's Jongno Distrcit, Tuesday. Courtesy of Jinbo Party

Meantime, there are also speculations that the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Unification could be scaled down, as hinted in comments by members of the conservative main opposition People Power Party (PPP) and the transition committee. Yoon has also vowed to have a small government and promote big markets.

Among the three members of the transition committee's division for science, technology and education, there is no representative for education ― only science and technology experts. Some raised speculation that it could be a signal for combining the education ministry with the Ministry of Science and ICT to launch a ministry that is similar to the defunct Ministry of Education, Science and Technology that had been created in 2008 under the 2008-13 Lee Myung-bak administration.

Yoon's transition committee Chairman Ahn Cheol-soo, who ran for president himself in 2022 and 2017, pledged to abolish the education ministry during both campaigns, saying the ministry has hampered the creativity of individual universities.

As for the Ministry of Unification, PPP Chairman Lee Jun-seok has backed its abolishment, saying other ministries could take over its roles.

Yoon's transition committee includes many former high-ranking officials from the Lee Myung-bak administration, which also pledged a smaller government.

As for the diplomacy and security policies of the upcoming Yoon administration, observations are that the Yoon government will focus more on strengthening South Korea-U.S. alliance to be in sync over North Korea-related issues as well as other regional and global security issues. But no China expert have been included among the total 21 members in charge of diplomacy and security tasks of the transition team, including the three committee leaders, nine experts and nine working-level members.

damin.jung@koreatimes.co.kr