Yoon’s Gender Gambit: A Campaign Coup That Turns Into a Catastrophe
The Ministry of Gender Equality & Family: A Hot Potato
When Yoon Suk‑yeol burst onto the national stage with a vow to disband South Korea’s Ministry of Gender Equality & Family, he won over a splintered electorate that was hungry for a new kind of masculinity. Those young men, who feel swamped by post‑pandemic job hunts and the weight of mandatory military service, rallied behind Yoon’s promise that “feminist firewalls” would be removed.
But here’s the kicker: the Ministry isn’t a puppet it can bolt out of government shop‑window by itself. Parliament—currently steered by Democrats—has to give its thumbs‑up, and that party is all in for a more inclusive, equity‑driven approach.
Party Politics and the Women’s Voice
Inside Yoon’s own People Power Party (PPP), the air is buzzing with debate. Some lawmakers fear that cutting the Ministry could alienate women at a time when the country’s upcoming local elections loom large.
Take Cho Eun‑hee, a fresh face in the PPP who has just landed a seat. She’s calling for the Ministry to get a “boost”, even suggesting a brand‑new agency if the existing structure proves too weak. “Even with all the good work the Ministry does, it’s been accused of stirring up gender fights,” Cho noted. “But it’s not a clean wipe‑out; we need to gather wiser ways to move forward.”
Why Gender Still Feels Like a Powder keg
- The country still sees women lagging behind in the workforce—labor market participation below OECD averages.
- South Korean women starve a continent‑wide wage gap.
- Soldiers and conscripted men carry the burdens of mandatory duty, a policy that many now call “selective inequality.”
- Programs that subsidize single women are being labeled by critics as “reverse discrimination.”
Yoon also pledged to raise military conscripts’ wages and scrap gender quotas in public sector jobs once in office. Around 60% of men in their twenties gave Yoon the nod—yet only 34% of women in that age group voted for him, proving the pre‑election polls were off the mark.
The Democrats’ Strategic Pivot
Thinking that gender can be their new rallying cry, the Democratic Party installed a 26‑year‑old feminist as its interim chief. She’s outspoken, a fierce critic of Yoon’s policies, and is already drafting a plan to wedge gender issues back into the political conversation.
In short, Yoon’s bold “de‑feminist” move suits some voters—but it threatens to turn the very platform that earned him victory into a liability. The next showdown will be in the June local elections, where every vote and every opinion will count toward the next chapter of South Korea’s gender saga.
”Feminist rhetoric”
The Ministry That Got Everyone in a Hot Mess
How It Started
Back in 1988, a handful of trailblazers under the Prime Minister’s wing tried to lift the veil on women’s status in a society still steeped in Confucian traditions. Fast‑forward to 2010, the office ballooned into a full‑blown ministry, tackling gender and family affairs on a much bigger scale.
The Controversies
Why does this ministry have a reputation for stirring a storm? A few reasons:
- “Feminist” rhetoric – some say it fuels anti‑man vibes.
- When high‑profile ruling party stars get windblown over sex‑abuse allegations, the ministry still stands by them – that’s a hit to credibility.
- Critics claim the ministry was more party‑politician than neutral, even helping the outgoing Democrats shape election policies.
Public Opinion 2025
According to a Realmetre poll released this January, about 52 % of Koreans are in favor of either shutting the ministry down or giving it a fresh makeover. That’s a number that suggests a split crowd at the waiting room of public policy.
What Happens If We Close It?
Here’s the drama: the ministry does a hearty lot of crucial work:
- Preventing sex crimes & domestic violence.
- Protecting victims with counseling & shelter.
- Backing single‑parent families, children, and other folks in need.
Pull it apart and the risk is that those services crumble, or get shuffled into other ministries that might not carry the same passion or attention.
Voices From The Front
One sociologist at Sungkyunkwan University, Koo Jeong‑woo, chimed in:
“The ministry has not kept up with calls for reform, eroding trust and widening the gender divide,” he said.
“People worry they’ll lose benefits and essential help. That’s where the president‑elect must step in to allay those fears.”
And there’s a fresh‑faced champion: 22‑year‑old Kim Ji‑yun, who said, “The ministry should be gone one day, but we are not there yet.” She even told the poll that she voted against Yoon.
Bottom Line
With a ministry that’s been fighting for women’s rights, preventing violence, and holding families together, dismissing it now would be like pulling the plug on a life‑saver in a crowded pool. Some see it as needed evolution; others feel uneasy. Either way, the debate is on, and the stakes are higher than ever.
