hankyoreh

Women's groups are showing deepening distrust of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. One has even come out with a statement calling for the ministry's dissolution and the resignation of Minister Kim Kum-lae. The reason cited for the criticism was the ministry's failure to carry its core task of protecting women's human rights. Now, the ministry needs to reflect objectively on how things arrived at this point and work actively to establish a new approach.
The ministry was targeted for criticism for its passive approach in the cases of the comfort women who had been coerced to serve as sex slaves for the Japanese military during World War II and a sexual harassment victim who was dismissed from a Hyundai Motor subcontractor. In the latter case, the occurrence of sexual harassment was acknowledged in January by the National Human Rights Commission of Korea, and the victim held a nearly 200-day sit-in protest in front of the MOGEF building when she was not reinstated. The ministry made almost no efforts to offer support, merely reiterating that it was "not within our legal authority to help victims." Kim is even reported to have said during a meeting with the victim last month that she was not likely to be reinstated even if she won her lawsuit with the company, and that she would be better off working elsewhere and accepting compensation for the damages. Instead of comforting a woman who was fired from her job after exposing sexual harassment, Kim merely drove a knife in her heart.
The MOGEF has also done effectively nothing with regard to the Peace Monument that became the subject of a flap between Seoul and Tokyo during the 1,000th Wednesday Demonstration by the comfort women. It has merely taken its cues from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, which requested discretion lest the situation develop into a diplomatic issue.
In addition to its failure to do its job, the ministry has also added fuel to existing conflicts in the most bewildering of places. A case in point was its embarrassment after indiscriminately handing out "19 and older" ratings to songs with references to alcohol in their lyrics. Meanwhile, a late-night Internet shutdown system for those aged 16 and under has stirred up a controversy over violations of freedom.
A lot of the MOGEF's passive approach has to do with the shortcomings of Kim Kum-lae. Unlike her predecessor Paik Hee-young, Kim has considerable experience with women's groups, serving as secretary-general of the Korean National Council of Women and secretary of the National Assembly Gender Equality and Family Committee as a GNP proportional representation lawmaker. Yet she has not engaged in any standout activity with regard to women's issues. Three months have now passed since she became minister, so she cannot use time as an excuse.
The MOGEF has consistently argued about its own powerlessness, contending that it has no legal authority compared to other agencies. But if its authority is limited, then it can only survive by constantly raising issues and making its voice heard. Kim Kum-lae should bear in mind that the ministry's role will vanish completely if it remains silent on issues that matter.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]