Gender Equality Institutions in Transition: Institutional Resilience and the Politics of Gender Justice in South Korea

The lecture draws from Jiso Yoon's research on South Korea’s gender equality machinery (GEM) to explore how public institutions can advance and sustain gender justice amid shifting political priorities. Since the establishment of a central government ministry dedicated to gender equality in 2001, South Korea has developed institutional frameworks and policy tools to promote gender equality in areas including women’s economic participation, political representation, and gender-based violence.

The paper analyzes how legal mandates and gender mainstreaming tools support policy continuity, while domestic women’s movements and international oversight mechanisms reinforce institutional accountability. It also identifies persistent challenges in strategic prioritization, cross-government coordination, and the institutionalization of gender expertise. South Korea’s experience highlights both the potential and the limitations of institutional approaches to gender justice, underscoring the importance of collaboration among public institutions, civil society, and international actors in sustaining progress

Hosted by the Working Group on Feminist Governance in Times of Crisis, the lecture will draw from Jiso Yoon's work as the former director of Director of the Center for International Cooperation and Development at the Korean Women’s Development Institute (KWDI) and research with publications such as Advocacy and Policymaking in Korea (SUNY Press, 2016).