Gender Equality minister vows to push employment disclosure law by 2027

Ministry of Gender Equality and Family holds press briefing marking one year since government launch; announces pan-government digital sex crime support unit and plans to strengthen anti-stalking measures

Minister of Gender Equality and Family Won Min-kyung speaks at a press briefing held Thursday morning at the Government Seoul Building to mark the first anniversary of the government's launch. [Ministry of Gender Equality and Family]

By Kim Do-yoon, The Herald Business

Minister of Gender Equality and Family Won Min-kyung said Thursday she would work to pass legislation enabling the "employment equality disclosure system" — a regime requiring companies to publicly report gender pay gaps and hiring conditions — in the second half of this year, with a target implementation date of 2027.

Speaking at a press briefing at the Government Seoul Building to mark the first anniversary of the ministry's launch, Won said organizations that achieve equality in employment are more sustainable and capable of growth. "The employment equality disclosure system will be the first step toward realizing gender equality," she said.

The briefing was organized to present the ministry's key policy achievements over the past year and outline its agenda going forward.

Reflecting on the past year, Won said the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, which launched in October last year, had worked to translate voices from the field into concrete policy change. She said the ministry had amended relevant laws to protect the honor of victims of Japanese military sexual slavery, establishing an institutional foundation for restoring their dignity.

She added that the ministry had launched a pan-government integrated support unit for victims of digital sex crimes and was developing a comprehensive response strategy to address the problem at its root.

Minister of Gender Equality and Family Won Min-kyung (third from left) poses for a photo after unveiling a nameplate at the launch ceremony for the Integrated Support Unit for Digital Sex Crime Victims, held May 6 at the Government Seoul Building in Jongno-gu, Seoul. [Yonhap]

Won also cited expanded support for single-parent families as a key achievement. She said the ministry introduced an advance child support payment system in July last year to help parents who had been shouldering the burden of child-rearing alone without receiving support payments, and had also strengthened the Child Support Agency's ability to recover those advance payments.

On youth support policy, Won said the ministry had expanded dedicated staff for high-risk youth and online counseling personnel to strengthen tailored support for vulnerable young people. She added that the ministry had increased the number of counselors on the 1388 youth helpline and staff at suicide and self-harm intensive psychology clinics, building a more comprehensive support network.

Won also highlighted progress in expanding the child-care service. She said the ministry had gradually eased the income eligibility threshold for the service, extended available hours and developed a management framework for care workers including those from the private sector, with a focus on building a system in which society shares the burden of care.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family plans to strengthen its gender-based violence response framework in the second half of this year.

Won said the ministry would work to make its role as a control tower for gender-based violence more effective in its second year. She added that the ministry, together with the Ministry of Justice, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office and the Korean National Police Agency, was preparing a plan for preemptive action against stalking offenders and enhanced victim protection, and would announce it soon.

kido@heraldcorp.com