United Nations advises South Korean government to ”withdraw plan to abolish Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and immediately appoint a new minister”

On the 3rd (local time), the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) recommended that the South Korean government withdraw its plan to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and immediately appoint a new Minister for Gender Equality and Family.
The committee oversees the proper implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, which was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1979. South Korea, which joined the convention in December 1984, meets every four years.
The Korean government delegation, consisting of ministries in charge of women-related policies, including the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Health and Welfare, met with the UN in Switzerland last month to discuss the results of policies in the field.
The committee participated in the deliberation of the Korean national report on the 9th UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women held in Geneva. In its final opinion on the deliberation of the Korean national report, which was released on the same day, the committee stated,
"We are concerned about the abolition of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family under the proposed amendment to the Organization Act No. 15525," he said, adding, "The clause abolishing the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family should be repealed and a new head of the ministry should be appointed immediately. Also, what kind of organizational restructuring should be implemented?"
The committee also recommended that the abolition of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family be a step back from the importance of strengthening the role and resources of the Ministry, which the committee previously emphasized.
"They also expressed concern that the participation of women's organizations in formulating national plans for women's development is being limited. They also called for a significant expansion of the human, technical and financial resources of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family."
In addition, the committee called for the establishment of a specific timeline for the enactment of a comprehensive anti-discrimination law, the introduction of a crime of sexual assault without consent, and the introduction of a crime of sexual assault without consent.
In response, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family stated, "The abolition of the department is not an effective way to promote gender equality policies."
The "Amendment Bill No. 15525" pointed out by the UN is not the bill to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, which the government is promoting, so it is regrettable that the recommendation contains factually incorrect information."
He also emphasized that the appointment and dismissal of government department ministers is the sole prerogative of the president, who has the power to make personnel decisions, and is not something an international organization should have a say in.