"Rampant Sexism in Covert Group Culture; Yong Hye-in Must Answer Directly"

[Anchor]

Allegations have emerged that severe sexism was rampant within a private, internal organization heavily driven by Yong Hye-in, nominee for Minister of Gender Equality and Family, during her past activities. Reports indicate that ideological education such as bans on abortion and demands for premarital chastity, alongside sexually harassing remarks, took place, yet nominee Yong allegedly turned a blind eye and condoned them at the time.

Reporter Kim Bo-mi has the story.

[Reporter]

Back in 2018, the issue of a so-called covert organization surfaced within the Labor Party, an extra-parliamentary progressive party.

Through its own fact-finding investigation at the time, the Labor Party revealed that a private, covert internal organization centered around figures from student activist backgrounds exerted influence not only within the Labor Party itself, but also over organizations such as the Part-Time Workers' Union and Youth Left. The investigation stated that they also conducted anti-women ideological education targeted particularly at female activists, enforcing views like bans on abortion and premarital chastity.

Nominee Yong Hye-in served as the representative of Youth Left in 2018 when the controversy intensified, and her spouse is a former representative.

Nominee Yong also served as the leader of the Labor Party in 2019.

The "Covert Organization Culture Interview Collection," which compiles testimonies from victims at the time, contains accounts that a sexist culture was pervasive. It notes that while leaders told female activists not to marry, they advised men that they needed "women to manage their lives," and referred to married women supporting male activists as "defensive struggles."

[Woo Sae-ha / Former head of the Ulsan branch of the Part-Time Workers' Union (Covert organization participant): Someone would say, 'Your legs are so pretty,' or 'Don't wear a skirt.' The main person in charge, Mr. A, would say things like, 'I'm going to sleep together in a female organizer's room.' It was deeply unpleasant, to say the least.]

Some activists who worked alongside nominee Yong in the past criticized that both Yong and her spouse were key figures of the covert organization at the time and held influence, yet stood by or tacitly approved of such sexist issues despite having a voice.

[Kim Yun-young / Former Women's Committee Chairperson of the Labor Party: Feeling a deep sense of despair that someone who condoned this could become a nominee for Minister of Gender Equality...]

[Woo Sae-ha / Former head of the Ulsan branch of the Part-Time Workers' Union (Covert organization participant): Given that a clear majority of the people surrounding her and forming the Basic Income Party were members of that covert organization back then...]

In particular, they argued that as a ministerial nominee for the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family—an office tasked with transforming the nation's gender culture—she must offer an explanation regarding this issue. Nominee Yong's side stated, "We will respond during the confirmation hearing."

[Yong Hye-in / Nominee for Minister of Gender Equality and Family: (Do you have no plans to explain before the hearing?) ......]

(Video reporting: Lee Seung-hwan, Shindong; Video editing: Oh Young-taek; Design: Taeyoung)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.