Yong Hyein, Who Once Criticized “Clinging to Office,” Faces Controversy Over Holding Both Minister and Assembly Roles Four Years Later

Repeatedly Questioned Kim Hyunsook on Resignation Four Years Ago

Plans to Retain Assembly Seat Even After Appointment as Gender Equality and Family Minister

Cites Party Survival, but Faces Growing Accusations of Double Standards

Yong Hyein, a member of the Basic Income Party nominated as Minister of Gender Equality and Family, has stated that she intends to retain her proportional representation seat in the National Assembly even after being appointed as a minister, sparking ongoing controversy. Amid this, Yong's past comment targeting former Minister of Gender Equality and Family Kim Hyunsook—which criticized Kim for “clinging to her post”—has also been brought back into the spotlight.

Previously, during a National Assembly Women and Family Committee audit in October 2022, Candidate Yong persistently asked then-Minister Kim whether she would resign if the ministry were to be abolished. At the time, Yong pressed the former minister with questions such as “Would you resign if the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family is abolished?” When Kim avoided a direct answer by saying, “I don't think it's something to speak hypothetically about,” Yong again raised the resignation issue in follow-up questions.

Hyun Lee, Ministerial Candidate for Gender Equality and Family. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

Candidate Yong remarked, “You said you won’t answer regarding resignation,” and added, “Seeing someone so attached to their position, I find it rather pitiable.” She continued by noting that the government was then pursuing plans to abolish the ministry and create a Population, Family, and Gender Equality Headquarters under the Ministry of Health and Welfare, asking, “If you are offered the position of head of the new headquarters after abolition, would you accept it?” Although Kim asserted, “I have never clung to my position,” Yong repeatedly pressed for a response.

During the exchange, while Kim tried to explain her stance, Yong interrupted, asserting, “Minister, it's the committee member’s turn to ask questions now,” and “Please refrain from saying only what you wish to say and answer the questions asked.” In response, Kim said the matter was “the president’s prerogative,” but added that she believed she would be recorded in history as the last Minister of Gender Equality and Family, and that someone else would likely be appointed head of the new headquarters.

Yong retorted, “In the end, you’re not saying you wouldn’t go nor that you would refuse,” and questioned whether it would be appropriate for a minister who pursued abolishing the ministry to later be put in charge of gender equality policy.

Maintaining Her Assembly Seat as Minister? Yong Hyein’s Decision Rattles Political Circles

Nearly four years ago, Candidate Yong pressed former Minister Kim on whether she would resign and criticized her for “clinging to her post.” Now, as Yong indicates she intends to keep her Assembly seat while joining the cabinet, critics in the political arena have raised accusations of hypocrisy. On August 30, President Lee Jaemyung nominated Yong as Minister of Gender Equality and Family. The next day, through her social network service (SNS), Yong clarified her position that she effectively plans to hold onto her proportional representation seat even if appointed as minister.

Yong Hyein, a member of the Basic Income Party, is absent from the opening ceremony of the 430th regular National Assembly session held on the 1st at the National Assembly plenary hall in Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by Dongju Yoon

Yong explained, “I am well aware of concerns that my decision not to resign from the Assembly could be seen as a privilege or benefit.” However, she continued, “If I, as the only lawmaker affiliated with the party, resign, the Basic Income Party would be left without representation in the Assembly.” She added, “I sincerely ask for understanding regarding the difficult situation faced by small parties, where personal decisions can directly determine the party’s future.”

During the 2024 general election, Candidate Yong ran as a proportional representation candidate for the Democratic Coalition, an opposition coalition party, not for the Basic Income Party, and was elected. As a result, if Yong resigns from the National Assembly, the seat cannot be succeeded by a candidate from the Basic Income Party. If she steps down, the Basic Income Party will be left as an extra-parliamentary party with no sitting Assembly members.

Spotlight on 'Concurrent Service'—The Real Issue Is Convention, Not Law

Legally, there is nothing preventing a member of the National Assembly from serving concurrently as a cabinet minister. Article 29 of the National Assembly Act stipulates that a member may concurrently serve as Prime Minister or as a minister. However, the debate is focused more on political convention than on the law itself.

Candidate Yong ran as a proportional representation candidate for the Democratic Coalition, an opposition coalition party, not the Basic Income Party, in the 2024 general election and was elected. Therefore, even if candidate Yong resigns from his position as a member of the National Assembly, the Basic Income Party cannot succeed the seat. Photo by Hyunmin Kim

Unlike district representatives, if a proportional representation lawmaker resigns, the next candidate on the party list succeeds the seat, preventing any vacancy. For this reason, it has become customary for proportional representation lawmakers to resign their Assembly seat if they are appointed as ministers. For example, in 2000, Kim Hangil, who was a National Assembly member through proportional representation for the Millennium Democratic Party, resigned after being appointed Minister of Culture and Tourism; similarly, in 2009, Lee Dal-gon, a proportional lawmaker from the Grand National Party, resigned after being appointed Minister of Public Administration and Security under the Lee Myung-bak administration.

Yong’s camp asserts this is not about personal political ambition, but a matter related to the very survival of the Basic Income Party as a minor party. Critics, however, argue that holding both positions concurrently contradicts established norms and public expectations. As Yong’s past remarks—pressing another minister to make a decision and criticize “clinging to office”—resurface, the issue of dual positions is expected to become a key topic at her upcoming confirmation hearing.

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