Song Younggil: "Yong Hyein Has Received Multiple Layers of Privilege... Difficult for the Public to Accept"

"Will Appointing Her as Minister Appeal to the 2030 Generation?"
"Serving Two Terms as a Proportional Representative Is Against Convention"

Younggil Song, former leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, commented on the controversy surrounding Yong Hyein, nominee for Minister of Gender Equality and Family, saying, "It will not be easy for the public to accept."

On September 2, during an appearance on SBS Radio’s "Kim Taehyun’s Political Show," Song stated, "I have doubts about what kind of appeal appointing this person as Minister of Gender Equality and Family would have for those in their 20s and 30s."

He went on to say, "How many people in the 2030 generation would empathize with the idea that someone from their generation has been appointed as a minister? Rather, is this truly fair? Hasn’t she suddenly experienced a meteoric rise and received multiple layers of privilege?" he pointed out.

Song Young-gil, former leader of the Democratic Party of Korea. Photo by Yonhap News

Regarding the nominee, Song added, "Serving as a proportional representative for two consecutive terms is actually against convention. Yet she intends to continue as a National Assembly member while also becoming a minister," he explained, "To anyone, this appears to be driven by ambition and feels unfair."

Song also likened Yong’s current situation to the documentary "Kingdom of Animals" once broadcast by KBS. He remarked, "(In the documentary) it’s hard for a herd of wildebeest on the Serengeti to fend off all crocodile attacks. Sometimes, one has to be sacrificed," he said.

Yong Hyein, nominee for Minister of Gender Equality and Family. Photo by Yonhap News

Yong Hyein, who is serving her second term as a proportional representative, was nominated on August 30 as the Minister of Gender Equality and Family. Unlike the usual convention where a proportional representative steps down from their seat when taking a ministerial post, Yong announced her intention to retain her position as a lawmaker. Her reasoning is that if she resigns, as the only sitting lawmaker from the Basic Income Party, her party would lose its representation in the legislature.

In a message posted to her Facebook page on August 31, she stated, "There are structural challenges directly tied to the party’s future because it is a minor party." She emphasized, "If this were a purely personal issue unrelated to the party’s direction, I would not have hesitated to consider resigning from the National Assembly. However, since my personal decision directly affects the party’s future, I sincerely ask for understanding regarding the difficulties faced by minor parties. I have already informed the party that I will not seek a proportional representative seat in the next general election."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.