Yong Hye-in, nominee for Minister of Gender Equality and Family, reportedly appointed her husband, Park Ki-hong, as the party's secretary-general during a meeting held three days after the founding of the Basic Income Party.
Records indicate that only Yong and her husband attended the meeting in question.
According to the office of People Power Party lawmaker Cho Ji-yeon, Yong founded the Basic Income Party on January 19, 2020, and appointed her husband Park as secretary-general in her capacity as standing representative during the first standing steering committee meeting held three days later.
According to the meeting result notice published on the Basic Income Party's website, the only participants at the time were Yong as the attendee and Park as the observer.
The Basic Income Party records lists of attendees and observers in its meeting result notices, making a meeting with only two people unusual.
In response, the Basic Income Party explained that immediately after its founding, Yong was the sole qualified member of the standing steering committee, adding that it was an inevitable method for a minor extra-parliamentary party. They stated there were no procedural issues regarding party constitution, regulations, or processes, and that Park's observation on the day of his appointment as secretary-general was customary, much like in other parties.
The ratification of husband Park's appointment took place at a second meeting held on the 1st of the following month, attended by Yong and her husband, seven regional committee chairpersons, and observers.
Later, when Yong stepped down as standing representative in March 2020 to run as a proportional representation candidate for the proportional alliance party "The Democratic Party of Korea" (Together Citizens' Party), her husband Park even served as acting standing representative.
Park has held various key party positions, including head of the Basic Income Party's strategic planning office and planning and coordination office, and currently serves as the deputy secretary-general for strategic planning.
Regarding the appointment of her husband to party positions, the personnel hearing preparation team for the Ministry of Gender Equality stated, "It was appointed through internal recommendations and deliberation processes immediately after founding as a minor extra-parliamentary party."
However, opposition parties such as the People Power Party have pushed back, criticizing it as the "Family Income Party" rather than the "Basic Income Party."
Regarding the controversy over her husband's appointment to key party posts, the People Power Party demanded the withdrawal of Yong's nomination, claiming that "public party management has been stained by private interests."
(Reported by Lee Ho-geon | Video by Ahn Jun-hyeok | Design by Yang Hye-min | Produced by SBS Digital News)
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