Rep. Kang Eun-hee of the ruling Saenuri Party, a former IT businesswoman, has been appointed as the new Gender Equality and Family Minister.

A graduate of Kyungpook University’s physics education program, Kang worked as a school teacher before founding her IT venture Winitech in Daegu in 2000. Prior to winning a National Assembly seat in 2012 as a proportional representative, the 51-year-old served as the chairwoman of the Korea IT Business Women’s Association and deputy floor leader for the Saenuri Party.

Kang has been a supporter of President Park Geun-hye’s controversial plan to revise the textbook publication system for middle and high school students to learn Korean history through national textbooks starting in 2017. She has been serving on the Saenuri Party’s special committee to implement the textbook reform.

(dyc@heraldcorp.com)