Gov’t announces reorganization plan abolishing gender ministry

Oct 07, 2022, 08:45 am

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Interior Minister Lee Sang-min announces a government reorganization plan during a press conference held at the Government Complex in Seoul on Oct. 6, 2022./ Source: Yonhap

AsiaToday reporter Choi Jung-ah

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family will be abolished and its man functions will be transferred to the Ministry of Health and Welfare. The veterans affairs agency will be upgraded to the ministry level and a new sub-ministry-level agency handling consular affairs and services will be set up under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Ministry of Interior and Safety announced the government reorganization plan on Thursday.

Under the plan, the gender ministry will be abolished. Its functions related to family, youth, gender equality, rights and interests will go to the Health and Welfare Ministry under a new sub-department called “Population, Family, and Gender Equality Headquarters.” Its function for women’s employment policies will be transferred to the Ministry of Employment and Labor.

Regarding the abolition of the gender ministry, the government believes a paradigm shift is necessary for women’s policies which have been approached from the perspective of comprehensive social policy. “In the current form of the gender ministry, there is a limit to addressing the current issues involving our society, such as intensifying generation and gender conflict, population decline and changes in family structure, as well as issues involving the elderly and youth,” interior minister Lee Sang-min said. “The gender ministry has been in charge of issues involving youth and family while the health ministry has been in charge of population, childcare and the elderly issues. As seen in the case of childcare and youth protection projects, overlap of functions between ministries causes confusion and inefficiency in the local community and the policy-making process,” the minister said.

The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, which is currently at agency level, will be upgraded to a full-on ministry level. It is aimed at promoting a comprehensive and systematic veterans policy and strengthening the status of the national veterans system. The interior ministry plans to reinforce the organization and functions for implementing related policies.

The Overseas Koreans Agency will be newly established. The foreign ministry’s functions related to overseas Korean policy and the overseas Korean foundation’s business will be transferred to the new agency. The number of overseas Koreans reached 7.32 million as of last year, and providing comprehensive government services ranging from military to taxes is necessary, according to the government.

“We will make an active effort to ensure that the amendment to the Government Organization Act that reflects the content is handled at the regular National Assembly,” the interior minister said. “Besides, restructuring factors not included in this time will be implemented in stages after a thorough diagnosis and public opinion gathering from all levels of society.”

#reorganization plan #gender ministry #interior ministry