Minor Parties Turn Their Backs on Yong Hye-in Over Ministerial Nomination

The Green Party has urged the withdrawal of Basic Income Party lawmaker Yong Hye-in's nomination as Minister of Gender Equality and Family, stating, "Gender equality cannot be realized through expedient satellite parties."

In a commentary released today, the Green Party criticized the appointment as "political regression that normalizes expediency." It pointed out, "Lawmaker Yong Hye-in served as the leader of the Basic Income Party in 2020 and entered the 21st National Assembly as a proportional representative for the Democratic Party of Korea's proportional satellite party, the Platform Party. Afterward, she returned to the Basic Income Party following a 'self-expulsion'."

Regarding Yong's stated intention to retain her proportional representative lawmaker seat even if appointed minister, the party slammed the move, saying, "Clinging to both the parliamentary seat and the ministerial post to protect seats gained through expediency sets another bad precedent in South Korea's political history."

The Green Party also expressed concern, stating, "Lawmaker Yong's entry into the cabinet is not the fruit of coalition politics led by minor parties. Rather, it could further solidify the relationship between the ruling party and satellite parties of minor parties, weakening the political independence of minor parties."

Criticism was also raised that the opinions of women's groups were not properly reflected.

The Green Party argued, "When numerous victims of sexual violence and civil society warned and opposed the dangers of abolishing supplementary investigation powers, Lawmaker Yong sided with the government and the ruling party, because political solidarity with the Lee Jae-myung administration took precedence. The limitations of a politician lacking self-generated political independence have already been proven through legislative activities, and entering the executive branch will only deepen this subordination to power."

The Green Party demanded that President Lee Jae-myung immediately withdraw the nomination of Lawmaker Yong as Minister of Gender Equality and Family.

Previously, the Justice Party also demanded the withdrawal of the nomination.

On September 1, Justice Party leader Yang Kyung-gyu pointed out, "The moment one of the biggest beneficiaries of a satellite party is selected as a state council member, it goes beyond an evaluation of a single politician and becomes the president's evaluation of satellite party politics as a whole. Rather than holding foul play accountable, it is rewarding it with a ministerial post."

(Reported by Jung Da-eun, Video by Jang Yu-jin, Design by Lee Su-min, Produced by SBS Digital News)

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