[Anchor]
As Minister Nominee Yong Hye-in insists on holding onto her proportional representation lawmaker seat while serving as a minister, effectively digging in her heels, the Democratic Party is finding itself in an awkward position. Even Democratic Party Leader Kim Min-seok stepped in to side-pressure her, saying, "We must respect the public voice." In contrast, the party is actively shielding Minister Nominee Kim Seung-won.
Reporter Park Jae-yeon has the details.
[Reporter]
Regarding Minister of Gender Equality and Family Nominee Yong Hye-in maintaining her stance on holding both her ministerial post and proportional representation lawmaker seat, Democratic Party Leader Kim Min-seok made the following remarks.
[Kim Min-seok / Democratic Party Leader: I am listening to the many concerns and criticisms out there. Anyway, I am giving it deep thought.]
While stopping short of directly demanding her resignation from the lawmaker seat, he effectively pressured Nominee Yong to make a decision, noting that it is an issue that can be judged even before the confirmation hearing.
[Kim Min-seok / Democratic Party Leader: We need to think about it while respecting the various voices and judgments of the public as they are.]
A member of the Democratic Party leadership explained, "Representative Kim is aware of the seriousness of the issue and believes there is a need to clear up the dual-office controversy before the confirmation hearing."
Voices of concern continued within the Democratic Party.
[Yoon Kun-young / Democratic Party Lawmaker (MBC Radio 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus'): This kind of issue is what makes it tricky. It is not a matter of whether it is illegal or unlawful; it is a matter of attitude and emotion.]
The Rebuilding Korea Party pointed out that the distorted structure itself—where major rival parties created satellite parties to secure proportional representation seats—is the core of the problem.
[Kim Jun-hyung / Rebuilding Korea Party Floor Leader: If we leave the structure as it is, which forces minor parties to contemplate detour routes like satellite parties and allied proportional representation, controversies are bound to repeat.]
Unlike its stance on Nominee Yong, the Democratic Party is showing a unified front in defending Minister of Justice Nominee Kim Seung-won.
Regarding Nominee Kim's "suspicion of soliciting new drug approvals," the party is counterattacking by claiming it was "merely the delivery of a public-interest civil petition." Furthermore, regarding the disposition of suspension of indictment rather than non-indictment handed down to Nominee Kim, the party is arguing that it was an "overreach by the prosecutors under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration."
(Video reporting: Oh Young-chun, Shin Dong-hwan, Kim Yong-woo | Video editing: Jeon Min-gyu | Footage courtesy of: Democratic Party TV)
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