Minister Nominee Steps Down After 14 Days... "Democratic Party Requested Decision"

[Anchor]

Lawmaker Yong Hye-in has voluntarily stepped down as the nominee for Minister of Gender Equality and Family just 14 days after her nomination. As public sentiment severely worsened, the leadership of the Democratic Party requested her decision, making her the first nominee in the current administration to drop out before even reaching the confirmation hearing.

Our first report today (September 14), by reporter Go Jeong-hyeon.

[Reporter]

Holding a press conference at the National Assembly yesterday morning, Basic Income Party proportional representative lawmaker Yong Hye-in stated, "Since I had nothing to be ashamed of, I wanted to explain things one by one at the confirmation hearing," while announcing her resignation as a nominee for Minister of Gender Equality and Family.

This comes 14 days after her nomination on August 30.

She also revealed, "I was conveyed the message from the Democratic Party that public consensus is not broad regarding the simultaneous holding of a proportional representative seat and a cabinet post, and asking me to make a decision," ultimately giving up the ministerial post while keeping her lawmaker seat.

[Yong Hye-in / Lawmaker, Basic Income Party: Judging that it is realistically difficult to carry out the duties while even the ruling party expresses concern, I intend to step down from the ministerial nominee position as of today.]

The Basic Income Party stated that it received the opinion from the Democratic Party the day before yesterday and had no separate communication with the Blue House. However, lawmaker Kim Tae-sun, chief of staff to Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok, stated, "I personally conveyed leader Kim's advice to voluntarily resign, which synthesized public sentiment, to lawmaker Yong."

Just three days before announcing her resignation, lawmaker Yong maintained her stance that she would give up neither her lawmaker seat nor the ministerial post, even claiming at a press conference at the time that "some within the Democratic Party are also swept up in groundless speculation and malicious propaganda."

[Yong Hye-in / Lawmaker, Basic Income Party (on the 10th): Holding concurrent positions is permitted by law in principle. We must look back on whether the convention of resigning from a proportional representative seat has been regarded among politicians as a mere division of spoils.]

However, immediately after the press conference in question, a cold current spread within the Democratic Party, with reactions such as "she should have at least expressed regret" and "was she demanding that the Blue House not withdraw the nomination?" Analysts indicate that when even leader Kim Min-seok stepped in to urge a decision, lawmaker Yong could no longer hold out.

Lawmaker Yong concluded her press conference yesterday with the remark, "I will devote myself to legislative activities with a mature attitude." Meanwhile, the People Power Party urged that stepping down from the nominee position does not mean the raised suspicions are over, calling for relevant investigations and her resignation as a lawmaker.

(Video Reporter: Oh Young-chun, Video Editing: Yu Mi-ra, Design: Lee Jong-jung)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.