Ministry of Gender Equality and Family
The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, formerly the Ministry of Gender Equality, is a cabinet-level division of the government of South Korea. It was created on February 28, 1998, as the Presidential Commission on Women's Affairs. The current ministry was formed on October 1, 2025. The current minister is Won Min-kyong.
History
Origins
Since the establishment of the South Korean government in August 1948, the Ministry of Social Issues handled discrimination against women until the department's merger in 1955. During this time, the Ministry of Social Issues merged with the Ministry of Health to become the Ministry of Social Issues and Health. In 1994, the Ministry of Social Issues and Health became the Ministry of Health and Welfare ; subsequently, the organization began to take action of sexism. However, the ministries were criticized for social positions belonging to women and the organization's unreliable enforcement of its policies.Specific policies addressing sexism began to be addressed with the establishment of the Department Heading State Affairs on February 25, 1998, after the inauguration of President Kim Dae-jung. On February 28, 1998, the Presidential Commission on Women's Affairs was formed. On July 23, 1999, the law forbidding and regulating sexual discrimination was created. However, the criticism concerning the lack of advancements for women in societies continued, and the Ministry of Gender Equality was formed as a response on January 29, 2001. The organization was established with these responsibilities: protecting the victims of domestic violence and sexual violence, prevention of prostitution, and overseeing women's occupations from the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
Developments
On June 12, 2004, the ministry received the responsibility of supervising the field of child development. On June 23, 2005, the ministry reorganized to become the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family for rebranding purposes. On February 29, 2008, the ministry was renamed back to the Ministry of Gender Equality while transferring the responsibilities of overseeing families and child care to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, later changed to the Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs. On March 19, 2010, the Ministry was rearranged to become the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, still keeping the responsibilities of overseeing teenagers and families.Logo
Organization
Objectives
According to the , the objectives are to plan and coordinate women's policy, and improve women's status through the enhancement of women's rights, establish, conciliate, and support for the family policy and multicultural family policy, foster welfare and protect youth, and prevent violence against women, children, and youth as well as victims.Functions
According to the , the functions of the ministry are to plan and coordinate gender-related policies, have gender impact analysis of policies, develop and utilize women resources, expand women's participation in society, prevent sex trade and protect its victims, prevent domestic and sexual violence and protect its victims, and forge partnerships with women civil groups and international organizations.Controversies
There has been a criticism of the involvement of the word Women in the name of MOGEF, bringing charges of taking a side in the issue of gender inequality and reverse discrimination. In 2013, there was a calling for its abolition. In 2025, the ministry removed the word "women" from its Korean title for the first time since the ministry's inception in 2001. It has additionally created a Gender Equity Planning Division to address reverse discrimination against young men, particularly those in their 20s.In 2006, the MOGEF established a policy to pay men not to hire prostitutes on men's New Year's Day parties. Men were told to sign up on the website with their national identification number, and the total budget was 3,600,000 Won. Crowds formed a petition to bring down MOGEF.
In November 2011, the ministry enforced a system of forced shutdown of teenage video gaming. The law has been criticized as being ineffective, encouraging teenagers to commit the crime of using their parents' resident registration number, and restricting the production of domestic games. The law was abolished in August 2021.