Backlash Mounts Over Yong Hye-in's Plan to Keep Proportional Lawmaker Seat

[Anchor]

Controversy is growing as Yong Hye-in, a proportional representative of the Basic Income Party nominated as Minister of Gender Equality and Family, announced her intention to retain her parliamentary seat for her party. Traditionally, proportional lawmakers nominated as ministers have stepped down to give up privileged positions. The People Power Party criticized the move as an "insult to the younger generation," while some in the progressive camp also voiced sharp criticism calling it inappropriate.

Reporter Park Jae-yeon has more.

[Reporter]

Basic Income Party Lawmaker Yong Hye-in has been nominated as Minister of Gender Equality and Family.

[Yong Hye-in / Basic Income Party Lawmaker: ((Today) Could you also say a word regarding the controversy over holding concurrent parliamentary and ministerial positions?) ......]

Having secured her second term as a proportional representative through the 2024 general election, Yong is currently the sole incumbent lawmaker for the Basic Income Party.

In the political sphere, it has been an almost invariable convention for proportional lawmakers taking on ministerial or high-ranking presidential office positions to resign from parliament.

Unlike district lawmakers chosen by regional voters, this practice aims to share opportunities with the next candidate in line and minimize legislative vacancies.

However, Yong stated via social media that if she resigns, the party would become an extra-parliamentary party, asking for understanding regarding the difficulties faced by minor parties, and making it clear that she will not resign from her lawmaker seat.

If she were to resign, an official belonging to the Democratic Party, the next person in line from the proportional coalition party, would succeed her.

The People Power Party launched a direct attack, calling it "the epitome of vested-interest politics holding onto all privileges" and an "insult to the 2030 youth generation."

[Jang Dong-hyeok / People Power Party Leader: The anger index of the 2030 generation has crossed the critical threshold, nearing explosion.]

The Justice Party also criticized the nomination, stating that she has worn a lawmaker badge twice through satellite parties that deceived the public without ever apologizing, and pointing out that she is a figure who welcomed the abolition of prosecutors' supplementary investigative powers despite concerns from victims.

The People Power Party pointed out a lack of expertise, noting that Yong has never sponsored legislation under the jurisdiction of the National Assembly's Gender Equality and Family Committee. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party stepped in to defend her, arguing that she has worked hard as a working mom for legislation promoting work-family balance, the expansion of child allowances, and the protection of victims of gender-based violence.

[Choi Min-hee / Democratic Party Supreme Council Member: I believe she is a tailored talent who has served on the Gender Equality and Family Committee and taken the lead in pushing for legislation such as the partnership act.]

With criticisms from the People Power Party labeling it a "family party" because Yong's spouse serves as the strategic planning deputy secretary-general of the Basic Income Party, the Basic Income Party rebutted that it is unfair to denigrate the party as being operated based on personal relationships.

(Photo: Yonhap News) (Reported by Oh Young-chun, Shin Dong-hwan, Kim Yong-woo | Video by Won Hyung-hee | Design by Cho Soo-in, Hwang Se-yeon, Lee Ga-jin)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.