Basic Income Party: "Yong Hyerin Should Hold Both Posts... New Paths Must Be Tried to Set Precedents"

Shin Ji-hye Meets with Reporters
"Spouse's Appointment as Secretary-General Was Discussed from the Party's Founding"

The Basic Income Party has expressed its position regarding Gender Equality and Family Minister nominee Hyerin Yong potentially serving simultaneously as a proportional representative lawmaker and a minister, stating, "New paths must always be challenged, and only through attempts can new precedents be established."

Yong Hyein, candidate for Minister of Gender Equality and Family, is responding to reporters' questions while arriving at the confirmation hearing preparation office set up in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul on the 2nd. Photo by Yonhap News.

Shin Ji-hye, a senior official of the Basic Income Party, met with reporters after a National Assembly press conference on September 7 and said, "There are many opinions that there has never been a case of serving simultaneously as a proportional representative and a minister." She relayed the party's position accordingly.

Senior official Shin stated, "This is a new attempt by the Basic Income Party to show, in the process of realizing coalition politics, how the Gender Equality and Family Ministry under the Lee Jae-myung administration can pool its strength to deliver results." Regarding calls for Yong to choose between giving up her proportional representative seat or declining the ministerial post, she clarified, "From the party's standpoint, we are calling for nominee Hyerin Yong to hold both positions." She added, "As for the Blue House, we understand that they expect the confirmation hearing to be conducted diligently, in line with their view that a thorough explanation should be provided to persuade the public during the process."

The party also firmly denied allegations regarding so-called "self-appointment" of Yong's husband to a key party post and claims related to a non-official organization. Noh Seo-young, the party spokesperson who attended the press conference, explained, "The appointment of her spouse as secretary-general was already discussed in the party formation process," adding, "After being nominated by the Standing Committee, the appointment also underwent an additional approval process by the National Committee." Noh firmly stated, "We can clearly say there is no connection whatsoever between the Basic Income Party and any non-official organizations mentioned," and added, "Our position on the matter will be stated in full at the confirmation hearing."

Meanwhile, that day, Yong's husband, Gi Hong Park, Deputy Secretary General for Strategic Planning, ranked third with 20.85 percent of the vote in the senior party official election. For party leader, former joint party representative Junho Oh was elected unopposed, winning with a final vote percentage of 93.89% (1,276 votes from full party members and 173 from delegates).

Representative Oh served as a joint leader of the party with Gender Equality and Family Minister nominee Hyerin Yong from 2022 to 2024 and currently heads the party's policy think tank, the Basic Income Policy Research Institute. He also ran as the Basic Income Party's presidential candidate in the 20th presidential election.

At the senior officials' meeting held that day, Representative Oh expressed his determination, saying, "To ensure that the Gender Equality and Family Ministry under the Lee Jae-myung administration achieves results, I will work hand in hand with Minister Yong Hyerin and the Basic Income Party," and, "We will do our utmost to make the Lee Jae-myung administration's gender equality policies more successful than those of any previous government."

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