SEOUL– A planned policy briefing by the gender ministry to President Yoon Suk-yeol was postponed due to an adjustment of briefing schedules, presidential officials said Wednesday, spurring speculation about whether the postponement is related to Yoon’s campaign pledge to abolish the ministry.
Yoon had been scheduled to receive the policy briefing from Gender Equality and Family Minister Kim Hyun-sook on Wednesday afternoon, but the briefing was abruptly delayed earlier in the day. Yoon began receiving policy briefings from each ministry earlier this month.
A presidential official said the gender ministry’s briefing was rescheduled because of an adjustment of schedules with ministries, which have yet to brief Yoon on their policies.
“Given the possibility of ministers’ attendance at the National Assembly next week, (the presidential office) decided to adjust the overall schedule of the remaining ministries’ policy briefings, including the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family,” another presidential official said.
A new date for the gender ministry’s policy briefing has not been set and the presidential office will notify reporters of the new date when it is confirmed, officials said.
Yoon, who took office in May, had pledged to abolish the gender ministry during his election campaign.
However, the ministry has remained in place for now, along with the rest of the current government layout, as the Yoon administration seeks to avoid clashing with the National Assembly, where the main opposition Democratic Party holds a whopping majority.
Source: Yonhap News Agency