Yong Hye-in Steps Down Without Hearing; Cheong Wa Dae Says "Candidate Made Own Choice"

[Anchor]

Lawmaker Yong Hye-in has become the first ministerial candidate under the current administration to step down without even making it to a confirmation hearing. Cheong Wa Dae stated that it will make every effort in personnel verification and selection moving forward.

Reporter Kang Cheongwan has the details.

[Reporter]

Immediately after Basic Income Party lawmaker Yong Hye-in announced her resignation as a candidate for Minister of Gender Equality and Family, Cheong Wa Dae released an official statement respecting her decision.

"We understand that the candidate made the decision herself to reduce the burden on state affairs and people's livelihoods," Cheong Wa Dae said, adding, "We will make every effort in verification and selection to ensure appointments meet the public's expectations."

As recently as last Friday, two days before the resignation announcement, Cheong Wa Dae's stance was to wait and see through the confirmation hearing.

[Kang Yujung / Senior Spokesperson for Cheong Wa Dae (Sept. 11): Our position has not changed that it is right to provide an opportunity to explain various suspicions.]

This is interpreted as a deliberate emphasis on "the candidate's own decision," taking into consideration the political burden of withdrawing a ministerial nominee just two weeks after appointment.

A Cheong Wa Dae official stated that no opinions regarding resignation were directly conveyed to Lawmaker Yong's side.

Lawmaker Yong is the first ministerial candidate to step down before undergoing a parliamentary confirmation hearing since the launch of the current administration.

While three previous candidates—including Minister of Education nominee Lee Jin-sook, Minister of Gender Equality and Family nominee Kang Sun-woo, and Minister of Planning and Budget nominee Lee Hye-hoon—either resigned or had their nominations withdrawn, they all went through confirmation hearings.

The People Power Party demanded an apology from the President, calling it a failure of personnel verification, and criticism regarding accountability also emerged from within the ruling party.

Democratic Party lawmaker Park Ji-won remarked, "Why try to stop with a hoe what you end up blocking with a bulldozer? If all the criticism is directed at the President, this is the responsibility of the personnel verification line."

A Cheong Wa Dae official explained that Cheong Wa Dae's pledge to make every effort in personnel verification and selection also carries the meaning of ensuring that no further concerns are caused to the public in the future.

(Camera, Jeong Sangbo | Video Editing, Nam Il | Design, Jang Seongbeom)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.