34-20

Chapter 20: Ministry of Gender Equality and Family 

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. 

A national institution in South Korea, established to promote women's rights and to protect and compensate women who suffered under the past patriarchal system. 

But as the saying goes, too much of anything is as bad as too little. 

An institution founded with good intentions long ago has long since lost its way and become a playground for the powerful. 

In fact, by giving women more privileges and more compensation, it gave men a strong sense of relative deprivation. 

  "We will abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family!" 

Perhaps that's why one candidate pledged to abolish the ministry to win the hearts of alienated men. 

But as they say, things change once you’re in power. 

  "Who cares?" 

He won the election thanks to overwhelming male support, but acted as if he didn’t care at all. 

  "Isn’t it better for men and women to get along rather than fight?" 

He only said what sounded good on the surface. 

  "Women have suffered so much until now... They deserve more compensation!" 

It sounds right at first. 

That’s why there were few men who could say this “right” statement was actually wrong. 

Instead, men just divided into “yes” and “no” camps and argued among themselves. 

  "Wouldn’t women know women’s hearts best? Haha." 

After this, the ministry’s gender ratio shot up to 9:1, women to men. 

Even the few men left were out on fieldwork, leaving only women in the office. 

This is the story that unfolds there. 

"Deputy Kwon? You’re a civil servant, right? What’s with your outfit?" 

"Hahaha, Section Chief Kim. What’s wrong with my clothes?" 

Section Chief Kim, head of the Career-Break Women Support Division at the ministry, pointed out Deputy Kwon, whose skin had turned very dark as if she’d been tanning all weekend, and whose face looked so different (maybe from surgery) that she wouldn’t have recognized her without her ID badge. 

"Don’t you know? Are you a Ja-Ae Cult follower? Why do you look like that!" 

"Oh, I’m not religious! But don’t I look so much prettier? This is my real face!" 

To be honest, Deputy Kwon’s face before wasn’t what you’d call pretty. 

At best, she was average. 

"Hey, stop dodging. Don’t you know what it means to be a civil servant? You need to maintain dignity!!" 

"What did I do? I’m wearing a suit, no piercings or anything. My skin’s just a bit darker..." 

"Ugh..." 

Section Chief Kim was about to lose her mind. The Ja-Ae Cult was a huge controversy, and for a civil servant to be associated with it? 

Since the Association had designated them as villains, it was an unspoken rule not to have contact with them especially for civil servants! 

"Are you trying to get disciplined?" 

"Chief, listen to me. It’s not actually illegal, is it?" 

"...What?" 

Section Chief Kim was speechless. Some things you just shouldn’t do, even if they’re not illegal. 

"Right? Every Korean has freedom of religion, and even if the Ja-Ae Cult is a pseudo-religion, it’s still a personal freedom. It’s not like they’re committing crimes..." 

"Hey!! How is brainwashing and controlling people not a crime!?" 

According to public opinion, the Ja-Ae Cult is said to corrupt and control women in obscene ways. Otherwise, their behavior would be inexplicable. 

"It’s not brainwashing. Look at me, I’m fine." 

"......." 

It’s like a drunk person insisting, “I’m not drunk~~” while staggering. The drunk doesn’t know, but everyone else does. 

"And... See my nose?" 

"No implant. No filler. Just my skin and bone. See how firm my skin is? It doesn’t hurt at all! Even the X-ray shows it’s my real bone!" 

...Section Chief Kim had heard stories like this. That all Ja-Ae Cult followers look like celebrities. 

It was said that after being “baptized” by Lee Jinwoo, you could get “perfect looks” beyond your genetic limits. Even aged skin could be restored to youth. 

Despite being designated as villains by the Association, the cult was still operating openly. 

That’s because women secretly flocked there to become more beautiful. 

Men went to spread their seed, women went to gain beauty. 

It’s not a secret; anyone paying attention to the news knows. 

Section Chief Kim felt despair every morning looking in the mirror at her aging face. 

But she just accepted it as a fact of life. 

"...Still!" 

"Chief, honestly, I didn’t plan to do it so suddenly either. There were so many people at the cult, I thought I’d have to wait a month." 

"But if you get introduced by a cult member, you can get in within a week! I have a lot of friends in the cult, so I got in quickly!" 

"If you want, I can introduce you... What do you think?" 

"What are you saying!!" 

"Just come to work dressed properly in a week! Or you’ll be disciplined!!" 

Sigh  

"Deputy Kwon...!" 

There’s something she learned as a section chief at the ministry: 

A woman’s enemy is another woman. 

Men? They’re not the enemy. They’re too far gone to even be called “enemies.” 

The current president is very interested in women’s rights. 

But he wasn’t always interested. 

When he was a candidate and promised to abolish the ministry, she hoped he wouldn’t win. 

But fate had other plans. Thanks to overwhelming male votes, the candidate who promised to abolish the ministry was elected. 

‘At the time, I was terrified women’s rights would go back to the dark ages...’ 

But after he became president, the ministry survived and even became stronger. 

Now, men don’t dare lay a hand on women their status is that high. Maybe this is how the world should be. 

‘But the Ja-Ae Cult...’ 

Officially, it’s a bizarre cult with one man and tens of thousands of women. 

Men visit by the hundreds daily, but can’t become official members. 

Only those who receive the cult leader’s “baptism” are recognized as members. 

Men are drawn to the “freedom” these women represent, and more and more men visit the cult every day. 

It’s like how everyone used to flock to “Yangyang” because it was famous for clubbing. 

  "If you want, I can introduce you..." 

Deputy Kwon’s words echoed in her mind. 

Looking in the mirror, she saw even more wrinkles than yesterday. 

Sigh  

She was already in her mid-to-late 40s, approaching 50. 

She was still unmarried, preferring to be a career woman. 

She thought marriage would only get in the way of her work. 

‘...It’s so quiet.’ 

She was satisfied with her job as a civil servant and proud of her career. 

But every time she left work and came home, the eerie silence greeted her. 

In those moments, she wondered, “What if I had gotten married...?” 

But in the mirror, she only saw her shabby, aged self. 

Her face was old, she couldn’t get pregnant even if she wanted to. 

Even if she married now, her partner would just be another old man. 

She was only human of course she liked young, handsome men. 

  "See how firm my skin is?" 

‘Deputy Kwon... she really did get prettier.’ 

It wasn’t just about looks. 

Deputy Kwon was in her mid-30s, not that much younger than her. 

She was also aging. 

But today, she looked young again. 

Section Chief Kim, who knew her when she was young, was shocked. Even in her youth, Deputy Kwon wasn’t popular and had to live as a forced “forever alone.” 

‘I never thought I’d feel jealous of Deputy Kwon.’ 

That sticky, dark feeling was jealousy. Maybe that’s why she snapped at Deputy Kwon, despite knowing her for so long. 

‘Deputy Kwon... her personality got better too.’ 

Did she think she was above me? That composure couldn’t be explained otherwise. 

It’s only natural that someone who regained youth and beauty would be above someone old and shabby. 

‘Deputy Kwon must know that too...’ 

Now, Deputy Kwon’s looks surpassed Kim’s own prime. Kim was easily in the top 20% for looks, but Deputy Kwon had gone beyond that. 

‘At least top 1%.’ 

All Ja-Ae Cult members were like that. Celebrity or idol-level beauty was common in the cult. 

‘That’s Lee Jinwoo’s power.’ 

She looked in the mirror. 

While thinking, she realized she looked even older than before. 

‘...Will Deputy Kwon pick up if I call now...?' 

It was already 10 p.m.