[Anchor]
Allegations have emerged that a severe gender-discriminatory culture existed within a so-called "underground organization"—an unofficial faction within the Labor Party to which nominee for Minister of Gender Equality and Family Yong Hye-in previously belonged. Some activists who worked alongside Yong have urged that she and her husband were key figures in this underground group at the time and must address the issue.
Reporter Kim Bo-mi has the details.
[Reporter]
In 2018, the issue of an underground organization surfaced within the minor progressive Labor Party.
Through its own fact-finding investigation at the time, the Labor Party revealed that a private underground faction within the party, centered around figures with activist backgrounds, exerted influence not only within the Labor Party itself but also over organizations such as the Youth Union and Youth Left. In particular, the party stated that this faction conducted anti-women ideological education targeting female activists, promoting concepts such as an "abortion ban" and "pre-marital chastity."
Yong Hye-in, the nominee for Minister of Gender Equality and Family, served as the representative of Youth Left in 2018 when the controversy escalated, and her husband was a former representative.
Yong later served as the leader of the Labor Party in 2019.
An interview collection detailing the organizational culture of the underground group, which compiled testimonies from victims at the time, contains accounts that a gender-discriminatory culture was rampant. According to the document, leaders told female activists not to get married while advising men that they needed "women to manage their daily lives," and referred to married women supporting male activists as part of a "defense struggle."
[Woo Sae-ha / Former Ulsan Chapter Head, Youth Union (Underground Organization Member): Someone said, "Her legs are so pretty," or "Don't wear a skirt." (The chief supervisor, Person A) would say, "I'm going to sleep together in a certain female member's room." It was deeply uncomfortable, frankly.]
Some activists who previously worked with Yong criticized that both Yong and her husband were central figures of the underground organization at the time, possessing significant voice and influence, yet they stood by or condoned such gender discrimination.
[Kim Yoon-young / Former Women's Committee Chairperson, Labor Party: Feeling a tremendous sense of frustration regarding the prospect of someone who condoned this becoming a candidate for Minister of Gender Equality...]
[Woo Sae-ha / Former Ulsan Chapter Head, Youth Union (Underground Organization Member): Given that nearly half or more of the figures surrounding the Basic Income Party are members of what was then the underground organization...]
In particular, they argued that as a ministerial nominee for the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family—an office tasked with changing the nation's gender discrimination culture—Yong must provide an explanation regarding this issue. Yong's camp has maintained the stance that she will "respond during the confirmation hearing."
[Yong Hye-in / Nominee for Minister of Gender Equality and Family: (Do you have any plans to explain before the hearing?) ......]
(Photo courtesy of Yonhap News | Video by Lee Seung-hwan and SHINDONG | Video Editing by Oh Young-taek | Design by Taeyoung)
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