Ha Heonki: "Hyein Yong Should Withdraw Nomination, It's a Matter of Choice, Not Explanation" [Current Affairs Show]

Ha Heonki: "It's Too Late for Her to Resign from the Assembly Seat"

Kim Yunhyoung: "It's Difficult to Lead the Ministry Under These Circumstances"

■ Broadcast: The Asia Business Daily "So Jongseop's Current Affairs Show" (Monday–Friday, 4:00 PM)

■ Host: So Jongseop, political specialist ■ Director: PD Ma Yena

■ Guests: Kim Yunhyeong, former full-time spokesperson of the People Power Party, Ha Heongi, former full-time spokesperson of the Democratic Party of Korea (September 3)

※ When quoting from this article, please cite "So Jongseop's Current Affairs Show."

So Jongseop: Hello everyone? Welcome to So Jongseop's Current Affairs Show. I am joined by Kim Yunhyeong, former full-time spokesperson of the People Power Party, and Ha Heongi, former full-time spokesperson of the Democratic Party of Korea for an in-depth discussion on various issues. Welcome to both of you.

Kim Yunhyeong, Ha Heongi: Yes, thank you.

So Jongseop: There is growing controversy surrounding two of the six cabinet nominees announced in the recent reshuffle. I am referring to Yong Hyein, nominee for Minister of Gender Equality and Family, and Kim Seungwon, nominee for Minister of Justice. Let's begin with the discussion on nominee Yong Hyein. The most prominent issue is her resignation from the proportional representative parliamentary seat. What are your thoughts?

Ha Heongi: I think the timing to resign from the proportional parliamentary seat has already passed. Honestly, if you consider it from another perspective, I do understand why one would find it difficult to give up a proportional seat. It's not just about Yong Hyein as an individual; it affects the entire party. If she steps down as a proportional representative, the Basic Income Party becomes a non-parliamentary party. Its legal status changes—it's a difference as vast as night and day. The Basic Income Party has members, party officials, and aides, right? Their livelihoods would change drastically and suddenly, with no alternatives in place. So I don't think it's reasonable to demand that Yong Hyein gives up her seat just because others are asking. The problem is that the public isn't sympathetic. From a voter's standpoint, they didn't vote for either Yong Hyein herself or the Basic Income Party.

Yong Hyein, candidate for Minister of Gender Equality and Family, is arriving at the hearing preparation office set up in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul on the 4th. Photo by Yonhap News

We all know how Yong Hyein became a proportional representative. Many voters view this as a free ride. They don't think party circumstances should take precedence. That's why she can't resign her seat, but in that case, I believe she ought to give up her ministerial nomination. That would be the logical and principled choice. From the president's perspective, the reshuffle was intended as an effort to win back support among women in their 20s and 30s, but the outcome has run counter to those intentions, creating a political burden instead. In that sense, it would be advisable for Yong Hyein to politely decline the opportunity, saying she appreciates the offer but must turn it down. If it were me, that's what I would do. Is it really possible to resolve this issue by providing explanations at the confirmation hearing? The problem is not that voters don't understand—the current demand is that Yong Hyein must choose between the two jobs. It's an issue of choice, not one of explanation or vindication.

Kim Yunhyeong: I think that's the right approach. Honestly, I don't really understand why Yong Hyein was considered for a ministerial position. If you look closely at her opening remarks, two main points were emphasized. First, she asserted her ability to serve as a working mother in her 30s, stressing her appeal to women in their 20s and 30s. Second, she asked for understanding, arguing that if she resigned as a lawmaker her party would lose parliamentary status—however, such a statement antagonized other progressive minor parties. Today, on Yong Hyein's way to work, there was a protest calling for her to step down as a nominee. Those who led the protest were from Mirae Party, which is also in the progressive camp. Essentially, nominee Yong Hyein has lost all supportive allies. In such a situation, is it really possible for her to carry out the duties of a minister, which is the pinnacle of political positions?

Moreover, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family is a highly unusual ministry. It rarely executes projects or allocates budgets independently and most often collaborates with other agencies. For instance, with gender sensitivity budgets, other departments submit plans and then the ministry discusses them together. To create initiatives like parental leave with the Ministry of Employment and Labor, it requires strong interdepartmental and political management skills. Yet, since being nominated, Yong Hyein hasn't demonstrated sound political judgment, in my view. Can she really lead a ministry under these circumstances? Everyone is aware of how she twice became a proportional representative. Based on that, I don't think she'll give up her lawmaker position to become a minister. She may step aside from the ministerial post, but I doubt she will relinquish her seat as a lawmaker. She'll probably attend the confirmation hearing at least.

So Jongseop: Mr. Ha, what do you think? Do you believe she'll go through with the confirmation hearing and then resign as a nominee?

Ha Heongi: I didn't mean to say resignation is likely, just that it would be the safest route both for Yong Hyein and the Basic Income Party. Whether she'll actually resign, I don't know. Judging from her behavior so far, it doesn't seem she intends to step down from either the hearing or the ministerial nomination. I believe this could lead to catastrophic consequences. Normally, people would take responsibility, defend themselves if needed, and apologize when appropriate, but with Yong Hyein that's not happening. She has no defenders, perhaps because no one is certain about what's really going on.

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For example, there are longstanding issues associated with activist circles and subordinate party structures, but unless you belong to that party or organization, it's impossible to clarify these matters. That leads to a wait-and-see attitude. It’s unclear what is true or false among the ongoing revelations, and if she lacks support, the damage could be irreparable—if all the allegations turn out to be true. That’s why nominee Yong Hyein needs to stay sharp and make clear decisions.

I'm not going so far as to demand the president withdraw her nomination at this stage, as that would be disrespectful to the president’s authority. But I do want to caution Yong Hyein herself: a misjudgment now would put both her and her party in great jeopardy. Politics can be ruthless—just a small vulnerability can result in severe damage, and in some cases, even the loss of a political career. That's why I'm offering this advice.

So Jongseop: If this issue had been resolved during the Blue House's background check through communication, the situation might not have escalated this far.

Ha Heongi: Maybe they didn’t anticipate such a strong backlash. It’s just an unexpected turn of events—you can't really argue that the Blue House was being inattentive. They aren't familiar with the Basic Income Party’s legislative structure, or personal details such as who is married to whom. The reality is surfacing now because of the confirmation hearing period, but for example, declining a proportional seat is not a strict principle or a legal matter, nor is it a political rule. Breaking with precedent isn't necessarily a big issue. The real core problem, as I've said, is that voters never cast a direct ballot for either Yong Hyein or the Basic Income Party. There is a widespread perception that she didn't earn the seat through her own efforts and is being overly self-interested, and that it's essentially a free ride—these emotional factors are what truly matter.

Kim Yunhyeong: I doubt the Blue House even asked about this, as it’s too obvious. The reason they chose nominee Yong Hyein was clearly due to her symbolic value as a member of the young generation, and because she has been active in the National Assembly. Even President Lee Jaemyung recently said they need to pay more attention to the left; selecting Yong Hyein seems to be part of that initiative. But I think the Blue House was caught off guard. That's my speculation—they were just caught off guard, and there will likely be more issues once the confirmation hearing season begins in earnest. The Basic Income Party has never directly received votes from the public, meaning it has never undergone true public scrutiny.

Ha Heongi: Fundamentally, the key issue is that voters simply do not accept holding two positions at once.

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