Yong Hye-in, the nominee for Minister of Gender Equality and Family, has sparked various controversies, leaving the Blue House in a difficult position. There are also voices of dissent within the ruling Democratic Party.
On the 12th, according to political sources, Kang Yoo-jung, the Blue House spokesperson, stated the day before, "Yong's press conference is unrelated to the president's schedule, and there was no prior consultation with the Blue House."
She added, "The Blue House believes that the ministerial nominee should be given the opportunity to explain to the public," and emphasized that they are open to hearing diverse opinions from the public.
However, she did not provide a clear stance on the possibility of retracting Yong's nomination. During a government question session held the same day, lawmakers from the opposition party asked Prime Minister Han Seung-soo if he would consider retracting Yong's nomination, to which the Prime Minister argued that the nominee also deserves a chance to clarify.
Additionally, Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Nam-kook appeared on MBC's 'News Outside' the day before and commented on Yong's press conference, saying, "Her responses seemed combative, and I wonder if that aligns well with public sentiment at this time. I believe it was inappropriate."
He further noted that the controversy surrounding Yong is not about legal violations but rather about aligning with public sentiment. "The criticism Yong is facing is not about the past issues of nominees regarding loopholes or illegalities, but rather a matter of public emotion and sentiment," he emphasized.
Kim also pointed out, "Even if the nominee has explanations to offer, she should present herself in a more humble manner that aligns with the public's perspective."
Notably, Kim remarked, "Yong is a member of the opposition party. While she may hope for active support from the Democratic Party, the current public opinion landscape makes it difficult to defend her, revealing a challenging situation. It is not easy for the Democratic Party to actively support her at this time."
Meanwhile, Yong held a press conference in the National Assembly on the 10th, declaring that she would not resign from her position as a proportional representative. In response to criticism that she violated conventions, she stated, "We should reflect on whether the convention of resigning from a proportional representative position has been perceived among politicians as a form of sharing power." If Yong were to resign, her party, the Basic Income Party, would be reduced to a non-parliamentary party, as she was elected as a proportional representative of the Democratic Party's satellite party during the 22nd general election.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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