More steps needed to prompt advancement of women
President Yoon Suk-yeol has been the target of criticism for his apparent lack of conviction and willingness to tackle gender inequality. This issue emerged once again during a press conference on May 21 following his summit with visiting U.S. President Joe Biden, when a journalist from the Washington Post threw a question to Yoon regarding his male-dominated Cabinet.
Apparently perplexed by the sudden query, Yoon remained reticent for about seven seconds. Then he replied, "In the public officialdom such as the Cabinet, for instance, women could not ascend to the accessible posts." This shows Yoon's belief there is a shortage of women who are qualified for positions such as ministerial appointments. Such a perception, if true, is wholly inappropriate as it means Yoon is holding women responsible for their low representation in his administration.
Seemingly aware of the growing criticism over his male-dominated government, Yoon picked women as his nominees for education and welfare ministers on Thursday. He nominated Park Soon-ae, a Seoul National University (SNU) professor of public administration, for education minister and former lawmaker Kim Seung-hee for welfare minister. A food and drug expert, Kim had previously been minister of food and drug safety in 2015 to 2016.
Yoon also named Oh Yu-kyoung, head of SNU College of Pharmacy, as chief of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. All minister nominees are subject to National Assembly confirmation hearings but do not require its endorsement. With the nominations of Park and Kim, the number of female ministers, if they take office, in the incumbent administration will increase from the current three to five, accounting for 25 percent of the entire Cabinet including Yoon himself.
Despite the recent move to tap women for the ministerial posts, the Yoon administration has a still long way to go toward fixing gender inequality. For instance, Yoon appointed only two women for vice-ministerial posts out of the total 41. He pledged during the presidential campaign period to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and invited criticism for his attempt to drive a wedge between the genders by instigating anti-feminism sentiment to woo support from young male voters in their 20s.
President Yoon's perception of gender issues is drawing global attention. The Washington Post, for instance, carried an article shedding light on Yoon's male-dominated administration and his plan to eradicate the gender equality ministry. During a dinner meeting with a group of National Assembly leaders on May 24, Yoon belatedly vowed to take measures to provide women with more chances.
We urge Yoon to abide by his pledge without fail by taking more audacious steps to help women to advance more briskly in many areas of society, let alone officialdom. The political parties should also extend further assistance to their female candidates running for the upcoming local elections slated for June 1, so that more of them can be elected.
President Yoon Suk-yeol has been the target of criticism for his apparent lack of conviction and willingness to tackle gender inequality. This issue emerged once again during a press conference on May 21 following his summit with visiting U.S. President Joe Biden, when a journalist from the Washington Post threw a question to Yoon regarding his male-dominated Cabinet.
Apparently perplexed by the sudden query, Yoon remained reticent for about seven seconds. Then he replied, "In the public officialdom such as the Cabinet, for instance, women could not ascend to the accessible posts." This shows Yoon's belief there is a shortage of women who are qualified for positions such as ministerial appointments. Such a perception, if true, is wholly inappropriate as it means Yoon is holding women responsible for their low representation in his administration.
Seemingly aware of the growing criticism over his male-dominated government, Yoon picked women as his nominees for education and welfare ministers on Thursday. He nominated Park Soon-ae, a Seoul National University (SNU) professor of public administration, for education minister and former lawmaker Kim Seung-hee for welfare minister. A food and drug expert, Kim had previously been minister of food and drug safety in 2015 to 2016.
Yoon also named Oh Yu-kyoung, head of SNU College of Pharmacy, as chief of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. All minister nominees are subject to National Assembly confirmation hearings but do not require its endorsement. With the nominations of Park and Kim, the number of female ministers, if they take office, in the incumbent administration will increase from the current three to five, accounting for 25 percent of the entire Cabinet including Yoon himself.
Despite the recent move to tap women for the ministerial posts, the Yoon administration has a still long way to go toward fixing gender inequality. For instance, Yoon appointed only two women for vice-ministerial posts out of the total 41. He pledged during the presidential campaign period to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and invited criticism for his attempt to drive a wedge between the genders by instigating anti-feminism sentiment to woo support from young male voters in their 20s.
President Yoon's perception of gender issues is drawing global attention. The Washington Post, for instance, carried an article shedding light on Yoon's male-dominated administration and his plan to eradicate the gender equality ministry. During a dinner meeting with a group of National Assembly leaders on May 24, Yoon belatedly vowed to take measures to provide women with more chances.
We urge Yoon to abide by his pledge without fail by taking more audacious steps to help women to advance more briskly in many areas of society, let alone officialdom. The political parties should also extend further assistance to their female candidates running for the upcoming local elections slated for June 1, so that more of them can be elected.
