Born in 1990 With White Hair?..."Is It Dye or Gray Hair?" Spotlight on Yong Hyein's Bangs

Surge of Interest in Yong Hyein's "Single White Streak"

"Not Dyed, It's Genetic... Increased Further While Working at the National Assembly"

Interest surrounding Assemblywoman Yong Hyein of the Basic Income Party, who has been nominated as the candidate for Minister of Gender Equality and Family, has even extended to her hairstyle. As a streak of white hair was clearly visible at the front of the 1990-born nominee’s bangs, some have speculated, "Is it a bridge dye?" and "Did she intentionally add white hair?" As the vetting process for the ministerial candidate has shifted into full gear, the spotlight has turned not only to her policies and political activities but also to her appearance.

Yong Hyein, Candidate for Minister of Gender Equality and Family - Yonhap News

Search Volume Surges Over 5,000% After Nomination

According to Google Trends, a search volume indicator, queries related to "Yong Hyein white hair" and similar terms increased by more than 5,000% over the past month compared to the previous month and the same period last year, reaching the peak value of 100. This indicator sets the highest search volume during a specified period as 100 and shows the relative level of interest.

With a pronounced streak of white hair at the front of her bangs, online communities speculated with comments like "Is it a bridge dye?" and "Did she intentionally add white hair?" Some suggested she may have styled it deliberately to project a more mature image in the relatively older political circle.

"Not Dyed, But Actually Gray Hair" ... Explained Multiple Times in the Past

However, Yong Hyein has directly refuted such speculation in the past. Appearing on YTN Radio’s "News King Park Ji-hoon" in January 2023, after being told that "Yong Hyein white hair" appeared as a related search, she explained, "It’s not dyed." Jokingly, she added, "If you know of a hair salon that can bleach hair this well to such a pure white, please let me know," and commented, "There are some genetic factors, and lately, my gray hairs have really increased."

In January 2024, she was asked a similar question via social media. When an internet user asked, "Can you get gray hair only in that spot? Did you put in a bridge on purpose?" Yong Hyein replied personally.

At the time, she explained, "Of course it’s not a bridge. In fact, if you look, there’s actually a lot. Strangely, from the front, it looks like it’s just that spot." She added, "It’s true that the gray hairs, which used to be just a strand or two, increased to the point that I couldn’t pull them out anymore after working at the National Assembly. But I do think genetics probably play a part." However, she also noted, "My parents strongly disagree, saying they didn’t have gray hair at my age."

Later in November 2024, on CBS Radio’s "Park Jae-hong’s One-Pan Show," she mentioned how her gray hair increased after she stopped dyeing her hair following childbirth.

Yong Hyein, Nominee for Minister of Gender Equality and Family, Yonhap News Agency

She has not simply left her gray hair unattended. In April 2024, she posted a video titled "Finally... After Years, Gray Hair Dye Vlog" on her official YouTube channel, openly showing herself dyeing her hair. At the time, she left comments on social media such as "Yong Hyein’s gray hair controversy ends here" and "It’s more like fully gray than dyed."

In summary, according to her explanations, the prominent white hair at her bangs is not a deliberately styled bridge designed to craft a particular image, but is in fact real gray hair, and she dyes her whole hair only as needed.

On August 30, President Lee Jaemyung nominated Yong Hyein as the candidate for Minister of Gender Equality and Family. If appointed after the National Assembly confirmation hearing, she will become the youngest minister since the 1987 constitutional amendment introducing the direct presidential election and the first cabinet member born in the 1990s.

From Maintaining Her Parliamentary Seat to Real Estate Flipping: A Series of Controversies

However, controversy continues over her intention to retain her parliamentary seat. Yong Hyein has affirmed that she plans to maintain her position as a lawmaker even if she is appointed as minister. While legally permissible, it has been customary in political circles for proportional representation lawmakers to step down from their Assembly seats upon joining the Cabinet, fueling further debate.

Her past real estate transactions are also under scrutiny. Recently, Assemblyman Joo Jinu of the People Power Party claimed that in April 2021, Yong Hyein purchased a house in Sadong, Sangnok-gu, Ansan, Gyeonggi Province for 245 million won and sold it in March 2022 for 265 million won, resulting in a 20 million won profit. The buyer was reportedly registered as a Chinese national. Assemblyman Joo criticized, saying, "She called for eradicating unearned income in real estate, yet she herself sold to a Chinese buyer after a short-term flip."

Yong Hyein, Ministerial Candidate for Gender Equality and Family, Yonhap News

On September 2, arriving at the office to prepare for the confirmation hearing, Yong Hyein addressed the controversy surrounding retaining her parliamentary seat by stating, "I am well aware that there are many concerns and worries," and expressed her intention to explain her position during the hearing process.

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