[Anchor]

Criticism is also growing against Yong Hye-in, nominee for Minister of Gender Equality and Family, who intends to simultaneously hold her post as minister and proportional representation lawmaker. The opposition camp is launching an offensive, attacking Yong's party as a "family party," while the Democratic Party is also finding itself in an awkward position.

Reporter Park Jae-yeon has the story.

[Reporter]

The People Power Party has sharpened its criticism, claiming that there is "money" behind nominee Yong Hye-in's intention to hold both the ministerial post and her proportional representation lawmaker seat.

[Jang Dong-hyeok / Leader, People Power Party: The reason nominee Yong refuses to resign from her proportional representation lawmaker seat is obvious. It is because the salaries for not only her spouse but also her organization would be cut off.]

The People Power Party launched an offensive, pointing out that during Yong's remaining 21-month term as a lawmaker, a total of about 4.3 billion won in taxpayer funds would be provided, including 1.1 billion won for aides' labor costs, around 1.9 billion won in regular political party subsidies, and about 1 billion won in general election subsidies two years later.

They also took aim at the fact that Yong's spouse, who serves as the deputy secretary-general for strategic planning of the Basic Income Party, receives around 3 million won monthly in party staff salary, arguing that it is a "family party" where major party posts are distributed among family members.

Raising suspicions that before founding the Basic Income Party, Yong and her spouse belonged to the Labor Party and social organizations, they also alleged that she had operated in an "underground organization," a term referring to secret activist groups.

In response, the Progressive Party commented that hateful offensives, including outdated red-baiting targeting the Basic Income Party, have crossed the line, urging them to halt hatred disguised as verification.

Democratic Party Leader Kim Min-seok made the following remarks regarding nominee Yong's stance of sticking to holding the proportional representation lawmaker seat concurrently:

[Kim Min-seok / Leader, Democratic Party: While respecting the various voices and judgments of the public as they are, there is a need to think things over.]

Although he did not directly demand her "resignation as a lawmaker," he effectively pressured nominee Yong to make her own choice, stating that it is an issue that can be deliberated even "before the confirmation hearing."

The Rebuilding Korea Party pointed out that the root of the problem is the distorted structure itself, where the two major rival parties created satellite parties to secure proportional representation seats.

(Camera reporting: Oh Young-chun, Lee Seung-hwan, Shin Dong-hwan, Kim Yong-woo | Video editing: Jeon Min-gyu | Footage provided by: Democratic Party TV)