[Edaily Reporter Bang Bo-kyeong ] “While the Ministry of National Defense does address military issues, it does not play a role in alleviating gender conflicts. In fact, the military’s mechanisms and efforts to improve the treatment of men can sometimes contribute to gender conflicts. Wouldn’t it be appropriate for the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family to take the lead in resolving (gender conflicts related to the military)?”

Park Jun-ho (34), who attended the “2nd Open Public Forum on Gender Balance for the Younger Generation” hosted by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family on the morning of the 25th at the Baekyangnuri Grand Ballroom at Yonsei University in Seoul, made these remarks. On that day, 85 young people, including Mr. Park, engaged in a heated debate on how to reflect the difficulties faced by men in policy. This public forum, addressing the topic, was held about a year after President Lee Jae-myung mentioned during a Cabinet meeting last year that there were valid points to the claim of “reverse discrimination against men.”

There has long been controversy over whether the challenges faced by men should be reflected in gender equality policies. This stems from concerns that expanding support for men could undermine existing policies for women. However, the public forum on this day went beyond simply expanding support to discuss the role of gender equality policies. The aim was to distinguish between the challenges men face that can be resolved through economic support and those that require changing societal perceptions based on gender.

A key point of contention was “military service.” Some argued that the Ministry of National Defense should provide support to compensate for the disadvantages resulting from mandatory military service. Nam Hyuk-jin (39) stated, “With the amendment to the Veterans Act, the period during which men who have completed mandatory military service can benefit from youth policies will be extended by two to three years,” adding, “I believe the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs should continue to develop such policies.”

There were also opinions that discussions on sharing the burden of military service should be led by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. Park Ga-on (24) said, “Men are currently required to serve in the military even if they are close to having a physical disability,” adding, “I think the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family should lead the discussion on why the current system is unfair and why this burden must be shared fairly.”

Approaches also differed regarding men’s burden of supporting their families. Kim Seon-young (37) said, “Currently, neither men nor women can afford to buy a home no matter how hard they work,” adding, “The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport must address housing issues, and the Ministry of Finance and Economy must ensure stable income; only then will men’s burdens naturally decrease.”

Meanwhile, some participants argued that changing social perceptions is the role of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. Beom Jin-young (27) emphasized, “The burden of caring for a family inevitably differs between men and women,” adding, “Since this must be viewed from a values-based perspective rather than a financial one, it falls under gender equality policy.”

While a wide range of opinions were exchanged, young people agreed that clear criteria are the most important factor in developing gender equality policies. In fact, participants cited “strengthening data to identify policy blind spots based on gender (16.7%)” as the most urgent gender equality policy. This is because they believe data is necessary to establish a clear direction for policy.

One participant emphasized, “As the world is changing rapidly due to AI and other factors, and given that conditions vary by region in Korea, it is important to collect both qualitative and quantitative data,” adding, “I believe all citizens must be able to see, in a fair and transparent manner, how much the gender equality index improves during this process.”

This year’s Gender Balance Public Forum concludes with this event. The Ministry of Gender Equality plans to use the discussion outcomes and proposals as a reference when reviewing the scope and tasks of future gender equality policies. Won Min-kyung, Minister of Gender Equality, emphasized, “We need to closely examine what difficulties and constraints currently arise due to gender and how policies should address them,” adding, “It is important to find a path where both men and women are freed from gender-assigned roles, rather than reducing the share of one side.”